Soulbound
by Demon Llama Nerd
Summary: The night before his teenage daughter 16 reaches full maturity, 9 receives a visit from 1 in a dream. The next thing he knows, he's thrust into the midst of a new war with allies that have grown strong and enemies that have grown stronger. Will 9 and his friends ever find peace? Rated T for occasional violence and swearing.
1. Chapter 1

Hello there. My name is Demon Llama Nerd and I hope that this will be the first of many "9" fanfics. As you may have guessed, this is a "sequel" to the movie with several OCs involved.

**Here's the background for the story; 7 has married 9 and given birth to his daughter 16, who is about to turn nine (while looking and thinking like she's eighteen) and reach maturity. 3 and 4 are older and have been adopted by 7 and 9 as their children. Plants have started to grow again and it has been fifteen years since the Machine was defeated.**

**Each chapter will be written from one or multiple POVs. Also, 4 is a girl in this story.**

**Hope you enjoy it. And don't hesitate to tell me what you think because the more reviews I get, the more inspired I am to write the next chapter.**

Soulbound

_**Chapter 1**_

**9's POV**

"Hey, Dad, which do you think will look better when I turn nine tomorrow? Red? Green and yellow? Red, white and blue? Dad? Dad? DAD!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I spaced out there for a minute. I'm sure you'd look good in any colour, 16."

"Well…I don't know…" My daughter's expression was so confused and confuzzled it was almost funny. I put down the page I was reading and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, you listen to me, young lady," I said in a gentle but firm tone, "you don't need clothes to look pretty. You always look perfect just the way you are." 16 sighed.

"OK, whatever," she said. "I knew it was a waste of my time asking you. I'm going to find Mom." She pulled away from me and ran off round the corner. I chuckled lightly as I watched her go.

Teenagers, huh? It always seems like it was only yesterday that you held their bottle, and now they won't even talk to you anymore. 16 aged at twice the rate of a normal human too, so it really emphasised the meaning of the phrase "They grow up so fast".

First of all, neither 7 nor I had known that our kind could conceive, carry and give birth to children like humans did. Only the twins had known that, and that made me that much more glad to have them around after 7 unexpectedly got pregnant.

I have to admit, that wife of mine did an amazing job at keeping her emotions under control during the long and hard gestation. But it was all well worth it in the end because after three months, our beautiful baby girl was born.

We all loved 16 and we still do. She's stubborn yet compassionate, and she loves needlework and art and combat practice all on the same level. Oh, I wish the others were still alive. They all would've loved her too, even 1 and 8.

The only downside to the whole parenting thing was that 16 was mentally and physically twice her chronological age. For example, when she was chronologically three, she was mentally and physically six. So, for a while, 7 and I were worried that she wasn't going to last long. But the twins then explained that once she hits the age of nine, 16 will remain that age for the rest of her life. That was such a relief to hear, I can tell you that now.

16's love for needlework also meant that she was able to make herself clothes out of little scraps of fabric. She's always liked pretty and shiny things, so the clothes she made were never anything short of being top-notch. But it's not like she needs them to look beautiful.

When 7 was pregnant with our daughter, there was nothing inside her belly but a little green light that served as the baby's soul. So we'd had to make a body for the soul to go into when the time came for the child to be born;

We used dark-brown yarn to make 16's hair, and that grew a little bit each year as she got older. And while we agreed to use the same material I was made from for 16's skin, we decided she should have her own unique fastenings and we made said fastenings using six small black buttons. And finally, we used copper to make the casings for the glass in her eyes (7 and I both have silver casings for our eyeglass).

Anyway, I was just about to go back to reading my page when 16 came back round the corner with her mother in tow. 7 stopped in front of me with her hands on her hips and glared. But she's always so cute when she does this that it's hard to take her seriously, so I started laughing.

"I see nothing funny about this," 7 said in a dangerous tone. "You could try to be a little more supportive towards our daughter, 9." I finally stopped laughing long enough to speak.

"Hey, it's not my fault she only talks to me when she wants my opinion on what she's going to wear these days. And besides, talking about what clothes you're going to be wearing for something is a woman thing, not a man thing." 7's face softened.

"Point taken," she said, and then she fell about in the exact same way I had. When she stopped, she got up off the floor and cleared her throat before addressing 16. "Erm…I think the green and yellow always looks best on you. Especially on your birthday. Now, come on. It's late and you need to get to bed."

"OK, Mom," 16 said. She walked off in the direction of her room and then 7 turned towards me again.

"We should get to bed, too," she said. "Do you have 16's present?"

"All wrapped up and ready to go under our bed," I assured her.

16's present this year was a "chequered" scarf I'd made for her using little squares of pink and purple fabric, and it was supposed to be from all of us. Next to my daughter, I was the best at sewing, though the end result when it came to the scarf was amateurish to say the least.

**~Soulbound~**

I was in a dark place, the talisman on the ground in front of me with its symbols glowing green. I bent over to pick it up but it suddenly exploded by itself, leaving nothing but a small orb of green light in the centre of its remains. The orb floated upwards and stopped at just about where my eyes were when I stood up.

The orb provided enough light to show me that I was in some sort of cavern. But that wasn't all. On the opposite side of the talisman's remains, there was a figure that I hadn't seen standing there before the orb had appeared.

It was 1, clothed in his cape and hat with his staff in his right hand. He looked just as he had when I'd first arrived at Sanctuary, except now there were a few nasty-looking burns on a few parts of his body and all that remained of his left hand were the palm and the thumb and the pinkie.

"Hello, 9," he said. It had been quite a while since I'd dreamt about 1, and he sounded the same as he had the last time I'd seen him in a dream. Well, not exactly the same. I mean, he sounded like 1 but he sounded like 1 starting to talk five minutes after swallowing a handful of gravel.

"1," I greeted in return. "So, er…how's it going?"

"Oh, fine," he replied. "I'm doing just fine, and that's quite an achievement considering the fact that I'M BLOODY DEAD!" I moaned and smacked my forehead with the heel of my right hand.

"Don't remind me," I muttered.

"If I wanted to and had time to, I'd stand here and remind you about it all night," 1 snapped. "But unfortunately, I don't have time to do that because that's not why I'm here. Listen, 9, you have to protect the talisman at all costs. You and your family are in very real danger, and have been for quite some time."

"Danger? What do you mean?"

"There is something out there in that Emptiness, something created by the Machine that has been buying its time, just waiting for the opportune moment all these years. It wants the talisman, and it will stop at nothing to get it. The danger is growing by the minute, 9. You must protect the talisman!" As the last word left his mouth, the light from the orb began to fade.

_Oh, shit! He's going to leave! _I thought. I extended a hand towards him as the light continued to fade.

"Wait!" I yelled. "Don't go! I have more questions! What is this thing? Why does it want the talisman so badly? How are the others doing? 1, answer me! Please!"

"The others are fine," 1 told me. "But I think that the more appropriate question is, "Will you be doing fine if the talisman falls into the wrong hands?"

The light faded altogether and I sat up in bed, screaming my lungs out.

Unknown POV

65 folded up her telescope and stuffed it back into her rucksack. She nodded at 84 and me.

"So, that's it, then?" 84 asked. "That's the place? The library where they're keeping the talisman?" 65 nodded again. I looked back to the shadowy building.

11 had made me start observing the residents of that library a little while ago. They were a group of five; two males and three females.

But since I was only working undercover for 11, I guess I should've foreseen the attack that was to take place tomorrow morning. After all, the two people I was currently feigning an alliance with had orchestrated it.

The three of us exchanged glances, and then we all returned our gaze to the library.

"84, 101, you better be ready," 65 sneered. "At daybreak, we attack and we're not leaving without that talisman, no matter what happens. And remember, when you address either me or each other, don't call me or each other by name." 84 smirked.

"Just think, girls," he said. "This time tomorrow, they _still_ won't know what hit 'em."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

**9's POV**

I woke to the sound of rapid footsteps approaching the cupboard where 7 and I slept. I sat up. 7 continued sleeping, still tired after being woken up by my nocturnal outbursts for the first time in fourteen years.

"16?" I whispered into the half-light. Considering what day it was, I wouldn't be surprised if it was 16 who was about to come into the room at this hour of the morning. The door of the cupboard edged open and three people walked in. Two of them were women, but the third person was a man.

The taller woman was carrying a backpack and her face and forearms were white. A flat sheet of pale-blonde hair hung down to her waist, and the area of her eyes that surrounded her pupils glowed red. Her torso and shoulders were orange, and she was smiling inanely.

The man was grey all over, with a silver zipper running from the top left corner of his torso to the bottom right corner of his torso.

The small girl was white all over. She had a red belt around her waist that looked like a human had worn it as a wristband once upon a time. She had rope tied over the seams on her shoulders that connected her arms to her body. And a red scarf was tied around her neck, part of it pulled up over the bottom of her face with its tails hanging down behind her. She was bald like 7 and a big black "0" was painted on her chest. In her hand, she held a mathematical tool that I believe was called a "compass".

"Who the heck are you three?" I asked. The tall woman laughed, a loud shrieking laugh that was enough to wake 7. My mate sat up sleepily just as the woman pulled a rope out of her pack.

"Bind her," she said, tossing one of the ropes to the man. Before anyone in the room had a chance to stop him, he pounced on 7 and knocked me off the bed in the process.

I smacked my head of the back of the cupboard and when I looked up, the small girl was standing over me, pointing the tip of her compass at me. If she wanted to run me through, she could've but I detected the slightest fragment of hesitation in her unreadable expression.

"Do him!" the woman yelled as she searched around under the bed for something. "What are you waiting for, kid? Do him!" I didn't understand what she was looking for at first, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

These three were the danger created by the Machine 1 had warned me about. But they were made in the same way my coven had been. Did that mean the Machine had copied 2's structure when it had sewn him onto the snake's tail and used the copied information to make some creations similar to us?

"Do him!" the woman shrieked. She was standing by the bed and trying to stuff the talisman into her too-small pack. "Do him and we're gone!" The man stared at the back of the girl's head with a concerned expression. His expression looked a little out-of-place considering the fact that he was pressing my tied-up mate's face into her pillow so she couldn't scream.

"101-" he started to say before the woman cut him off.

"I told you not to address either of us by name!" she yelled. She turned her glare back in the direction of the girl. "Fine! Let's go, but knock him out or something!"

The man jumped off of 7 and ran outside with the woman. The girl, 101, raised her compass in the air and smacked me over the head with it. Then, she started to run after her friends and stopped at the cupboard door.

She glanced back over her shoulder at me and right before I blacked out, she said, "You're lucky I didn't kill you."

**101's POV**

"Hey, what happened in there, 101?" 84 asked as I caught up to him and 65 a few feet away from the library gates. I waited until I'd stopped panting before answering.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Good!" snapped 65. "Because I'd rather not hear about it! Let's go!" She led us to a little spot we'd found around the same time I'd become a double agent.

At this little spot was a pointy stick stuck in the ground. Attached to it was a square torn off a burlap sack with "14" inscribed on it in black paint. It was obviously someone's grave.

"All right," 65 said to me as she knelt in front of the stick, "84 and I will dig this thing up. You, 101, can sit over there and do whatever the heck you wanna do because I don't want you messing this mission up any further." I nodded solemnly and walked away.

I sat down on a rock and stroked the petals of a nearby flower, trying and failing to drown out the sound of my "comrades" as they robbed this "14" person's grave.

"See these wounds? See how they've all been stitched up?" 84 said. "This woman was killed by a Beast. I'm sure of it."

"Then that means her soul is still trapped inside her body," 65 said. "Perfect. Now we have everything we need to resurrect the Machine." I glanced behind me as she pretended to lovingly stroke the face of a female corpse. "There, there, little one. Your journey is almost over."

I stood up and raced off as they activated the talisman and it began to rip the poor dead woman's soul from her body.

"101!" 84 called after me. "101! For God's sake, come back!" But I did not come back. I kept running until his voice had completely disappeared. In a few minutes, I was at my secret hidey-hole.

I loved my hidey-hole. It was the only place I could go to escape for solitude during the day, and not even 11 and his cronies knew I had it. I looked around quickly to make sure I hadn't been followed and ducked inside.

65 and 84 were probably heading towards the Machine's corpse now. The three of us had been repairing it over the past few months, and now all our creator needed in order to be reactivated was the talisman with the dead woman's soul inside.

When we'd started making repairs to the corpse, I'd found the body of an old man lying there. I'd brought him back to my hidey-hole and decided to keep him hidden there until the Machine was alive again. Then, I could take him out and bury him.

But, when I walked into my hidey-hole on this day, the corpse was nowhere to be seen. The light streaming in through the slightly-open entrance showed tracks of clawed feet that led directly to it from the table I'd laid the corpse on and-

Wait, what?

**9's POV**

"I'm fine, 7. Relax," I assured her. "The only thing that matters to me is that you're OK." The cupboard banged open and 4 rushed in. That got me scared right away. 3 and 4 were never really seen apart unless there was an emergency.

"What is it, honey?" 7 asked her. 4 jumped up and down a few times and pointed desperately in the direction of the entrance to the library.

7 helped me up and we immediately dashed after 4. We skidded to a halt when we saw what 3 and 16 were kneeling beside.

"Can you hear me, sir?" 16 asked the person on the floor. She pressed her middle and index fingers to the left-hand side of his neck and checked for his pulse.

"Oh my God," 7 gasped slowly and quietly. I walked slowly forward, leaving 7 and 4 standing behind me like a couple of prunes at a plum wedding. I knelt next to 16 and my eyes crossed in horror.

1-bruised, burnt and looking older than ever-was lying on his back, wide-eyed and struggling to breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

**1's POV**

I was almost certain I was in the library, but I still couldn't be sure. I'd woken up in a dark hole on a table so I suppose someone must have pulled me out from under that infernal Machine. But when I woke up, no one was there so I decided to just make my way to the library.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done because for one thing, the physical damage caused by the Machine falling on me was greater than I'd previously thought. And for another thing, the glass in my left eye was very deeply cracked so I could barely see out of it at all.

Eventually, I _did _make it to the library and by then, I almost _wanted _to collapse on the ground when I did. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by the twins and an unfamiliar brown-haired girl.

3 flickered something to his sister and she raced off, probably to find 7 and 9. The brunette stared at 3 with a confused expression, probably because she couldn't figure out why he looked so scared.

"Can you hear me, sir?" she asked. I tried to answer her but for some reason my voice wasn't working. She touched the side of my neck with two fingers, most likely to make sure I had a pulse.

"Oh my God," said a female voice a few feet away from my head. It was 7. And then 9 walked over and stared at me with the same expression 3 was.

"Do you know who this guy is, Dad?" the girl asked him.

Wait, did she just call 9 "Dad"? As in, "Father"?

"I-It's 1," stammered 9. The girl gave him a disdainful look, which told me that she thought he was just fooling around. Then, she looked at me again.

"Might I ask your name, sir?" she said. I weakly raised my good hand and knocked on the floor once. She seemed to understand what I meant.

"Your name is 1?" I nodded and her eyes widened. "But-But sir, the First is dead."

"Does it really matter?" 9 suddenly snapped out of his trance. "This _is _1! End of story!" He looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "7, come here and help me carry him into our room. He needs help and fast."

The next thing I knew, 7 had me in her arms and 9 had run off to find the necessary supplies for a medical examination. By the time he got back, 7 had me lying with no blankets in their bed.

The room 7 and 9 supposedly slept in was made out of a cupboard that was built into what used to be a librarian's desk. There were several objects strewn across the floor and several drawings were pinned to the "walls";

One showed 7 laughing while 9 patted the small but prominent bump that jutted from her normally-flat stomach. Another showed 7 cradling a wriggling newborn. And yet another depicted 9 with a toddler that was waving fat fists in the air on his lap, smiling proudly at his daughter.

If anyone needed proof that the brunette was their child, they would only have to look at these drawings to be sure.

Speaking of the brunette, 9 handed what he was carrying to her when he came into the cupboard and 7 stepped back to allow her to get closer to the bed.

"Hello," she said brightly. "First off, I'd like to say that you don't need to worry about anything. I'm just going to take a look at the damages and then I'll get to work later. Now, hold still."

She ran her hands down the length and breadth of my legs, squeezing them at the joints to make sure there weren't any dislocations. Then, she examined the burns on my thighs, back and hips.

"Not a problem," she said when she'd done this. "Those burns aren't actually that bad, and I'm sure I can chip them off without causing that much more damage."

The next part of the examination involved my head and arms. The girl eventually concluded that my pupils' response to bright light was normal and that while my left hand could be surgically reconstructed, there was nothing she could do for the crack in my eyeglass.

Next came the part that I'd been dreading since the beginning; the internal examination. The girl was very discreet with undoing my straps, however, and she was finished with the whole analysis sooner than expected.

"Well, for starters, one of your ribs has broken off," she said, holding up a small pointed piece of metal. "But there are no splinters, and it hasn't punctured anything. A little glue and it'll be right as rain." I merely nodded and she got on with it.

"Aha!" she said triumphantly after another little while. "So that's why you can't talk. Your voice box got knocked loose." She held up a round flat disc and then started fiddling with something inside my chest. There was a spark and she pulled her finger away in pain.

"That should hold it," she told me before glancing at her father. "I'm gonna start tweaking this thing, so tell me when his voice sounds right." She turned back to me. "Keep trying to say "hello" until Dad tells me to stop." I nodded.

"Hello," I tried to say, but even _I _could barely make out what I was saying. My voice sounded garbled and mechanical.

"Tighten it up a little bit more," 9 said. His daughter nodded and carried on.

The second attempt sounded just about as illegible. The third attempt was easier to understand than the first two but just barely, and the same could be said for the fourth.

At the fifth attempt, I sounded exactly like myself again and 9 said, "All right, 16. That's enough." The girl, 16, nodded and fastened my chest shut again.

"Thank you," I told her, giving her a smile. She smiled back.

"No problem," she replied. She went and sat down on a chair and her father stood up when she started playing with her fingers.

"All right, 1," he said. "I need some answers, and I'm pretty sure we all do. First of all, how are you alive again and what did you see after you woke up?"

"I'm not sure how this came about myself, I'm afraid," I said to him. "And I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary when I woke up. Well, except for the fact that I was on a table in a hole."

"Did you see anyone in the hole or come into it? And do you know if the others are alive?"

"No, no one came in and I woke up alone. And I honestly don't know if the others are alive or where they are." 16 stood up again at this point.

"Sorry, Dad, but I'm gonna have to ask you guys to scoot, OK? I need to start getting to work on those injuries. 1 can always answer any more questions you have later."

Surprisingly, 9 said, "OK. Let's go." And then he led 7 and the twins out of the room.

16 gave me a reassuring smile as she walked towards the bed. "Just lie back and keep still and it probably won't hurt as much."

"All right. Thank you so much for all your help, 16." Her smile widened into an enthusiastic and eager grin at this.

"You're welcome."


	4. Chapter 4

OK, first of all, I want to thank you guys. I didn't think that "Soulbound" would even get that many reviews. And what's more, I really enjoyed writing the story so far, so I'm gonna be writing as much as I can.

**But this doesn't mean you can be lazy and not hit the "Review" button once you're finished reading each chapter! Oh, no! Don't even think about it! I even removed the blocker on the Anonymous Reviews so you have no excuse for not telling me what you think.**

**In this chapter, we're introduced to one of the first new machines; the Centipede. We also get our first glimpse of the 4x6 pairing in this story.**

**And by the way, I referred to the stitchpunks' group as a "coven" in the second chapter. I meant to say "clan" but I wrote "coven" instead. Forcive habit, I guess.**

_**Chapter 4**_

**16's POV**

1's repairs probably took about…forty-five minutes at the most. But to the two of us, it felt more like an hour and a half.

I started with his burns so he could keep his whole body flat on the bed without hurting. But then came the parts I'd been dreading; fixing his hand and rib. I'd said that I would repair the rib using glue because if I'd said my true plans out loud, even my parents wouldn't let me perform the operation.

I opened 1's chest and struck a match off the bottom of my left foot. His eyes widened as I brought it towards him.

"What are you doing?"

"The metal will only keep itself together if I melt it, 1. Glue isn't strong enough. Now, lie back." He reluctantly obeyed and held his chest open as best he could with his good hand while I held the match with one hand and the broken rib with the other.

I didn't put the flame right up to the spot where the rib had snapped. But I put it close enough that the metal started to liquefy, glowing orange slightly in the process. 1 looked like he was trying very hard not to scream.

Eventually, the metal melted just enough to hold the piece that I was reattaching in place and I took the match away and stubbed it out. Then, I started searching around under the bed until I found what I was looking for; the broken-off tips of two rusty old needles.

I could tell from what was left of his injured hands that his fingers were long and sharp, and needle heads were all I could think of to replace the lost fingers. So, it was a good thing our kind don't have ring fingers, because that meant that 1 had only lost the middle and index fingers on his left hand.

I asked 1 to keep his arm flat on my parents' bedside table while I worked and set the needle heads next to his hand before pulling out a fresh match.

**~Soulbound~**

"You really didn't have to do all of this, 16," 1 said when I was finished, testing his new fingers by flexing them. "Especially on your own." I smiled at him.

"I like to be independent," I told him. "And I'm a fast learner-Huh?" I straightened myself and cupped a hand around the left side of my head. I could've sworn I heard a scuttling noise, and 1 seemed to have heard it too.

"Was that the twins?" he asked me. I shrugged and listened again. There was more scuttling, louder and nearer this time. I glared at the door.

"All right, very funny," I said. "Joke's over, you two. C'mon out." The twins, if they were out there, didn't obey and scuttled closer. "I mean it. I'm not kidding around."

The cupboard door edged open and a long, silver snake slithered into the room. I shuddered and 1's eyes widened. At the end that was furthest from us, eight legs suddenly sprouted and the end closest raised itself up.

The raised end sprouted six arms and the pointed tip opened to reveal a single crimson eye that glared balefully at both of us.

"B-But," stammered 1, "I thought that all of the machines were destroyed long ago."

"Well, then that is one angry fossil," I said, starting to back away from the creature. It shrieked and one of its arms shot out and slammed into my stomach, sending me flying into the wall.

When I looked up, I saw Mom's spear lying next to me. And then, I let out a cry when I saw what the creature was doing.

It was standing by the bed, holding 1 by his neck using the arms closest to its head. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was digging his fingertips into the creature's clawed "hands".

I grabbed Mom's spear and leapt to my feet, hoping that all those years of fight training would pay off at this moment. With a scream, I used the bed as a launch pad and jumped up before bringing the blade of the spear down on the creature's long fragile neck, between the second and third pairs of arms.

The area above the spot where I'd made the cut crashed to the ground and 1 fell onto the bed, landing on his left side and clutching his neck whilst gasping desperately for air.

Just as I was about to toss the spear away, the arms on the creature's severed head twitched and then pushed the head up off the floor. The head hissed at me and made a dash for the door.

"Oh, no, you don't!" I yelled. I leapt towards it and grabbed onto a wire sticking out of its rear end. It immediately started trying to shake me off but I managed to hold on relatively tightly until it slammed me against a book.

I cried out in pain as something sharp sliced my arm and I let go of the wire. I looked up just as the creature's head rounded the corner.

"Are you all right?" Clawed fingers took hold of my good arm and pulled me upwards. I looked over my shoulder at 1, who was using his free hand to rub the sore spots on his neck where the creature had tried to strangle him.

"I'll live," I said. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better," he replied. "And I've been worse." I pulled his hand off my arm and started leading him back towards the cupboard, ignoring the throbbing pain in my cut.

"Lie down and don't move," I told him when we stopped next to the bed. "You're not supposed to move until at least an hour after the operation's completion, remember?"

1 didn't answer. He just lay down on his back and rested his head against the pillow while I covered him with a blanket. I heard rapid footsteps and then Mom and Dad ran into the cupboard.

"What's going on? I heard screaming!" Mom yelled. And when she caught sight of the creature's body on the floor, she said, "What is that?"

"A machine got in here and knocked me down," I told them. "And then it started choking 1. So, I used your spear to cut its head off, Mom. But apparently, decapitating that particular machine isn't enough because like a horror movie monster that just won't die, the head sprouted legs and made a break for it."

"Are you both OK?" Dad asked. "Nothing broken?"

"1's just got a bit of a sore neck and I got scratched. But it's nothing serious. Now, you two wait here with 1 in case that thing comes back. I need to go check on the twins and make sure they're OK."

I left the three of them in the desk cupboard and headed off in the direction of the globe that the twins used as a bedroom. Along the way, I happened to glance in the direction of the seatless piano stool that served as my room and noticed something hanging over the side.

I clambered up the staircase of books set beside the stool and gasped. My room was a mess. The dolls' house wardrobe that I used for storing my clothes was lying on its front, my clothes all over the floor. Bits and bobs from under my bed lay in amongst the clothes and a few of my spools of thread and my "lucky" needle were missing, along with my backpack. The physically-eighteen body that my soul was to be transferred into today was what was hanging over the side.

_Wow! _said one side of my brain. _Someone was pissed._

Or looking for something, said the other. The creature had done this, no doubt. But what did I have that would be of any sort of value to it? I guess that it thought it would be harder for injured members of our clan to be healed if it mucked up all my thread, but that was it.

I was suddenly scared and rushed down the staircase of books. I wasted no time in getting inside the globe, but I gasped again when I did.

3 was passed out and lying face down on the floor. Next to him was a small metal bar, and 4 was nowhere to be seen. I bent down and rolled 3 over onto his back, shaking his shoulders once his eyes were pointing towards the ceiling.

"3, can you hear me?" I asked him. "If you can, twitch your little finger. 3!" His mouth seemed to implode a bit for a second, and then he opened his eyes and sat up, feeling his head.

"Are you OK? What happened?"

_It was 4_, he flickered to me. _I saw her on top of your stool and she came back in with your backpack and it had a few things in it. She also had a couple of spools of thread tied to her waist. I told her it wasn't good to take other people's things and then she knocked me out and I can't remember a thing past that._

"Where's 4 now?" I asked.

_I don't know. She ran off right after hitting me._

I nodded and took hold of his wrist, pulling him to his feet before leading him back towards the cupboard. I couldn't really hear any talking, so at least the adults were in the middle of a consultance or an argument. I started yelling as soon as the door was open.

"We've got a problem!"

**4's POV**

I felt bad about stealing from 16 and knocking my brother out, but I had no choice. I had to go and find 6, and if anyone knew what I was planning, they would've stopped me.

Once I was outside the gates of the library, I started running as fast as I could. A quarter of an hour later, I was at our end of the collapsed bridge.

I wasted no time in tying a rope around the most stable looking bar of metal and threw the loose end down into the canyon. Then, I tied one end of another rope around my waste and the other end to the first rope so that I could abseil down the side of the canyon.

_This is going to be difficult_, I thought. _One wrong move, and it's sayonara in two seconds flat. One slip-up, and I end up as little more than a squashed tomato. Oh! What am I saying? I can do this! I'm 6's only hope! I'm bigger, stronger and older than I was the last time I came here. I can do this!_

I left my supplies up on the surface next to the spot where I'd secured the first rope, taking with me only an extra rope so I could tie 6 to me once I found him. Even though I knew that the canyon was murky, I didn't need a torch. I guess that's where having lights inside your eyes comes in handy, especially when you can still see when they're switched on.

_I'm coming, 6_, I thought as I penetrated the top of the layer of cloud and mist and smoke. I kept my lights on the whole time I was inside the cloud, and I was amazed to find out how think it actually was. And the other side wasn't as dark as I thought it would be either.

Five seconds after leaving the cloud layer, my confidence returned.

_This is easy! I knew I could do it! _I thought.

The main reason why I hadn't told anyone my plan was that I knew they would stop me because of my inexperience and poor coordination. I could barely throw a thimble beyond the point of my foot, and I'd never even picked up a weapon, so how would I be able to abseil down into a misty chasm?

I had the answer; because I wasn't the frightened little girl I'd been when I'd watched 6 die through my fingers.

Soon after 16's second birthday, 3 and I had asked 7 and 9 to make us teenage bodies so that we could properly fulfil our role as older brother and sister to 16. Of course, 9 jumped at the idea, and after a little convincing, 7 did the same.

Every year, when 16's birthday comes around, her soul has to be transferred into a bigger body that looks about twice the age she's turning. The transfer is carried out using a tube-like wire that serves as a temporary connector between the soul containers (or "hearts", as the humans called them) of 16's old and new bodies.

But since 3 and I were created using the talisman and 16 wasn't, the transfer was different for the two of us. When our new bodies were finished, we took turns using the talisman and the transfer chamber in the Scientist's workshop to make the transfer.

It was a painful process for both of us, and it pained me to imagine what the ones we'd lost went through when the transfers were completed.

_I'm older now! I can do this!_ I repeatedly told myself in an attempt to prevent any motivation from escaping my brain.

Finally, I was at the bottom of the canyon. I untied the second rope from around my waist and tied a thick knot in the end of the first, so that if I slipped, I wouldn't come in for a hard landing. Then, I turned my lights on so that I could properly look for 6.

"Who's there? Who is it?" croaked what sounded like the voice of an elderly man.

…_No, that can't be who I think it is. Can it?_ I thought. I stopped walking and flicked my lights on and off a few times. A silhouette started to form and then someone half-stumbled out of the mist.

…_Oh my God! It _is _2! _I gasped internally. The face was unmistakeable. It was definitely him. His eyes lit up when he saw my face.

"F-Four?" he gasped. "Is that you?" I nodded furiously and rushed forward, throwing my arms around his neck.

_2, are you OK? And how are you alive? 9 said he saw 7's spear go straight through your chest_, I flickered.

"Aye, it did," 2 replied. "But if 7 actually _was _aiming for my heart, then she speared me a little too far down. "Now, would you like to tell me what you're doing down here in a place like this, my girl?"

_I came to find 6, and I found _you_. Is 6 here?_

"Yes, yes, he is. And as luck would have it, the drain that I was sent down led out to here. But I can't move much without my cane, and this cloth doesn't help much either. On top of that, 6 was badly hurt after he fell and I think his spine might be broken."

I glanced at 2's feet, which were poking out from under a piece of brown cloth, which I recognised as a small part of the snake's tail. I nodded at that and let 2 take my hands and lead me.

6 was propped up against the canyon wall, his chin touching the ring of his key. He looked up when he heard our footsteps and smiled widely at us both. I couldn't help myself. I pulled my hands out of 2's grasp and charged at 6.

_6! Oh! Oh, 6! You're OK!_

"Well, I wouldn't say "OK", but I'm alive all right," he replied. Hearing his voice, it was like he never died. "I saw you come, 4. But you didn't have to do this just for me."

_Well, I did. Can you stand up? _6 shook his head. _OK then, but don't worry. I'm going to tie us all together and we can get out of here. _I turned towards 2 and he nodded when I gestured for him to help me lift 6.

It was quite hard getting back to the spot where the rope was dangling, but we somehow managed it in the end. When we _did _get back to the spot, I removed the extra rope from around my wrist, where I'd tied it for safekeeping.

_Sorry. I only brought one rope extra rope since I didn't expect to find you here, 2_, I flickered. _But, with any luck, it should be big enough to fit you both._

They bunched together and I tied the extra rope around both their waists before making a tight knot in between them. Then, I tied the small bit that hung down from the knot to my own rope at the back.

_Hold tight_, I flickered. _It's gonna be a bumpy ride._

Climbing down into the canyon took about…ten, fifteen minutes, I guess? But that was because I only had to support my own weight. Now, I had to support the combined weight of 2 and 6 so climbing up out of the canyon took double the time it took to get in.

Finally, we were through the cloud layer and we all blinked in the sudden brightness. We stopped for a few seconds and then got moving once more as soon as our eyes got used to the light.

A few minutes before we were due to reach the top, I froze and my eyes widened. At the spot where the first rope touched the edge of the cliff, it was worn and frayed and we were literally hanging by a thread.

_Oh, no! Oh, no, no! No, no, no! _I thought desperately, starting to climb a bit faster. _No, no, no! Don't break! Not when I'm this close! Please, please, please!_

The thin thread that now held the rope together snapped in half and the two men behind me started screaming as we began to fall.

This was it. I was going to die and there was nothing anyone could do to save me this time. Wait, no. I wasn't going to die because I was going to land on 2 and 6. They would cushion the impact of my fall and I would crush them both in the process.

I shut my eyes and swiftly opened them again when we suddenly stopped falling. My soul container took off, beating at a furious new pace until I thought it was going to make like helicopter blades and grind right through my sternum.

Someone was holding the spot where the rope had snapped. It was a female with mechanical wings sticking out of her back. Said wings were made of long metal poles that were bent in the middle, and each pole had long white feathers protruding from its underside.

The owner of the slowly flapping wings was black all over, pink ribbons tied around her knees and elbows. Six woollen dreadlocks flowed down around her head and neck area. The two that were just above the centre of her forehead were yellow, the two that were on either side of these were orange and the two on either side of these were red.

In spite of her midnight-black skin and hair the colour of fire, I would've mistaken her for an angel because of the appearance of her wings had I seen her from a distance.

"Hold on!" she called down to the three of us. "I'm going to fly up and set you down on the ledge! Please stay clam!"

She twisted round and faced the sky, her wings flapping a little faster than before. The rope swayed ominously in her hands as she flew, and it made me feel seasick as well as terrified.

I didn't even bother to get up when she finally let go of the rope and we dropped about an inch to the safety of the ledge. I was so tense that if I were human, I'd be throwing up right about now. A hand took hold of my shoulder and gently shook it.

"4, are you OK?" 6 asked.

I blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks so much for all these reviews, guys. And Freida Right, I know you wanted more 4 and 6 in the last chapter. But, for the time being, 4x6 is only implied more or less.

5, 1 and 9's POVs in this chapter. And remember, when you get to the end, make sure your mouse knows to automatically move the little arrow over the "Review" button.

Chapter 5

**5's POV**

When my eye flicked open, I didn't know where I was. Wherever it was, it was very dark and something heavy and crumbly held me down. I opened my mouth and whatever surrounded me fell into it.

Oh, no! I was underground! They'd thought I was dead, so they'd buried me! I couldn't breathe or see and every time I coughed out a mouthful of dirt, it just fell back in again.

_No! I'm not dead! I'm not dead! I'm alive! I'm alive! _I thought desperately.I reached up and clawed at the dirt above my face, screaming and spitting and squeezing my eye shut all the while. I was vaguely aware when I heard scratching from the surface and felt hands brushing dirt away from my face.

"Keep your patch on, 5. I've got you." Strong hands gripped my arms and I was yanked upwards. I started choking on the dirt that was left in my mouth and one of the hands patted me on the back until I'd coughed it all up.

"You OK?" I spluttered once more and opened my eye to see 8 holding on to my shoulders. I nodded once.

"Am I glad to see you." Those were six words I thought I'd never say to 8, after all he'd done to me and 6. And 14. If he hadn't been bullying 6 and made her argue with 1 as a result, she never would've left.

"Are you sure you're OK?" 8 asked. I nodded again.

"Just get me out of here," I said.

**1's POV**

I lay in 7 and 9's bed, tapping the fingers on my right hand on their bedside table. 3 was curled up into a ball next to me and snoozing silently. 9 sat rocking in a chair, staring at nothing in particular.

7 and 16 had left a little while ago, and they'd apparently gone to the Scientist's house. 9 said that every year on her birthday, one or both of her parents took her there to perform a soul transfer. I'd kept my face straight and nodded, not knowing or wanting to know what a soul transfer was exactly.

3 had stayed in the cupboard with the two of us after the women left. He'd lain down on the other side of the bed without getting under the covers and curled up, moping until he eventually dozed off. Judging by the little shudders that racked his body every now and then, he was probably having troubling dreams over his sister's attack.

9, on the other hand, seemed to be being anti-social on purpose. Something was troubling him, and I could easily guess what it was.

"It wasn't your fault, you know," I said in an attempt to comfort him. He didn't turn around, but I carried on anyway. "Why, if you'd listened to me, I don't think even 7 and the twins would be alive right now. And-"

"DON'T YOU GET IT?" he screamed at me as he whipped round, balling his hands into fists. "I screwed up! And when the Machine was about to take my soul, I thought for one second that maybe I could do something right! And then, you and your little stunt and-ARGH!"

He jumped up and landed a hard kick on the back of the door and stood for a few seconds, muttering and cursing with pain. Then, he looked at me again.

"You were right," he said. "I _am _a curse. _And_ a fool." He stumbled out and 3 sat up and stared after him for a few seconds. Then, the boy looked at me sadly.

"I know," I said to him. "I'm worried too. I never actually thought that 9 would take what happened fifteen years ago this way. Has he been like this since then?" 3 nodded and leaned closer.

He flickered the lights in his eyes a few times, and I realised that he was trying to show me some of his memories. I shivered as I watched and listened.

The first memory showed 3, younger than he was now, clutching his sister as they both shuddered. It was dark and they were obviously in bed, screams that were clearly coming from 9 audible in the background. He sounded like he was having a nightmare.

The second one showed a younger 4 in front of a roaring fire on what appeared to be a snowy winter night. She was drawing something; all nine members of our clan sitting in a grassy field, laughing and playing together. Without a word, 9 walked over and snatched the drawing before angrily tearing it up and burning the pieces.

The third and final one showed a pregnant 7 asleep in bed. 9 had his hand on her stomach, whispering over and over to it that he was sorry. The memory ended with the twins running away after 9 spotted them and began to shout at them for spying on him (I know how he feels).

When 3 was finished, I shook my head whilst staring at my blankets.

"I had no idea," I said softly. "But, why did he tear up 4's drawing and why was he telling 7's stomach he was sorry?"

_After you guys died, he took 6's drawings, the penny that fell off your hat and 8's stuff and gave to 7_, 3 flickered. _He told her to take them out and hide them in the remains of the cathedral without telling him where she put them. He didn't want to have anything lying around that might remind him of you guys. And when 7 got pregnant, he got worried that the baby would understand if they talked about what happened while it was still in the foetal stages._

"So, he apologised to it just in case?" 3 nodded and stared at the blankets too. I hesitated briefly before I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

**5's POV**

"So 8, how did you survive? The factory your body was left in exploded."

"I honestly don't know. All I know is that I woke up under all that rubble, I dug my way out and…now I'm here. Oh! And I found something you might wanna see."

We stopped and I saw where we were. We were right next to the old record player the group had been playing with right before I was killed. 8 dug around for something in amongst the records and pulled out a stick that I recognised as soon as he handed it to me.

"This is the light bulb staff," I gasped. "The one that 9 and I built together." It was amazing that it too had survived the explosion. The bulb was broken though, and all that remained were a few glass shards. 8 looked at them briefly.

"Looks like your light bulb staff is just a staff now," he mused. "But, you know what? I bet we can make it a light bulb staff again if we look for a new bulb in the Scientist's place." I gazed at him and then smiled.

"8, that's a great idea," I said. "We can fix 9's staff and then give it to him when we get to the library." 8 smiled back.

"We'll make it a surprise."

**9's POV**

I went and sat on the broken-off hand of a statue after leaving 1 and 3 alone. I'd found 8's stuff here after we released the souls of the lost, so it must've been where he'd been keeping guard before the snake nabbed him.

7 and 16 came back, but I didn't even look up. I ignored 7 trying to get my attention by talking to me, and I didn't bother to catch even a glimpse of 16 in her new body. So, they moved on and left me there.

I sat there for a long time, staring at the ground, tapping my right foot, resting my head on the palm of my left hand. My elbow was digging into my thigh as my hand supported my head, but I didn't care. I was glad that it hurt me.

_You deserve this pain_, I told myself. _It's nothing compared to what 1 and the others must've felt._

I heard something rolling and my eyes widened as something wedged itself under my right foot. It was my staff, polished with a shiny new bulb screwed into what was once 2's hat. I picked it up, holding it on my knees as I stroked the pole.

I heard footsteps and then someone with a deep voice cleared his throat. I looked up. 5 and 8 were standing there.

"We found something that we believe is yours, sir," 5 said in a formal-sounding voice. 8 merely nodded at me in greeting.

I couldn't help myself. With a sob, I leapt up (dropping my staff in the process), threw my arms around 5's neck and began to cry.


	6. Chapter 6

Whoa! Two updates in one day? I guess I really DO love writing this story.

All 4's POV in this chapter.

**I shouldn't have to tell you this at this stage but…review, review, review!**

Chapter 6

**4's POV**

"4? 4?" I blinked open my eyes to see 6 sitting at the end of a bed I was lying in. "Welcome back."

_What happened? _I asked. _How long was I out?_

"You were out for about twenty-four hours at the most," said 6. "And after you passed out, 12 picked me and you up and I held onto you and 2 held onto 12's feet and she brought us here."

_12?_

"Yes, 12. She's the black girl with the big wings who pulled us out of the canyon." I looked around. 2 was sitting in a chair in the corner, snoring. There was a very small fire in the centre of the room. 16's stuff lay in a little pile in another corner.

The door opened and a peg-legged brown man walked in. He had his hands on his hips, which had burgundy patches on them. He had dirty blonde hair that looked similar to 6's and fell down over his gold-framed eyes.

"Well, I see that the little lady has woken up," he said, seemingly not noticing when he accidentally waved his peg leg in the fire and it started to smoulder. "I'm called 18. What's your name, little missy?"

In answer, I pointed to the number "4" etched on the right-hand side of my chest and 6 pointed a finger at the peg leg, which was now starting to flame up.

"Erm…y-your…leg?"

"What about it? Gah! Dagnabbit!" gasped 18 as he started stomping his peg leg in an attempt to put out the flames. Then, he pulled it out of his socket and blew at it seven times before giving one big blow that put out the flames and sighing.

"This happens all the time," he said to me as he screwed his leg back into its socket.

_Oh, I have _no _doubt that this happens all the time_, I giggled internally, wondering what kind of drugs the creator of whoever else lived here was taking when he made _this _guy.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I think it's about time you meet the others," said 18. He turned and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey, guys! The girl's awake!"

"Wh-Wh-What? Wh-What? Who's shouting?" 2 said sleepily. Then he saw me and smiled. "Ah, 4. You're awake." He picked up a stick that was leaning against the side of his chair and stood up. The cloth that had been around his waist when I found him was nowhere to be seen.

Moments after 2 hobbled over to my bedside (6 still sitting in front of my feet), five people walked in; two males and three females.

I remembered one of the females as the winged girl from the canyon. "12", 6 had called her. But now, her wings were nowhere in sight.

One of the males was made from a combination of white and very pale brown fabric. There were two shiny round buttons on his chest, and another three smaller buttons on his left thigh, brown fabric tied around his shins and ankles.

The other male was smaller, about the same size as 3 was when he was first created. He had this swaggering way of walking like 8 did, and he was red all over and wearing a black bandana on his head.

The taller of the two unknown females walked with a graceful gait, and her skin was the colour of an avocado.

And finally, the smaller female was a child. She was about the same size as 16 was in the fifth year of her life (when she was physically and mentally ten years old). Cute purple dreadlocks swayed about her head and her skin was light blue.

"So," said the tall male, "you're the little mute girl I've heard so much about." He didn't say this in a threatening way, but there was still something in his voice that made me feel uncomfortable. "I am 11, and I am the leader of this group. You've met 12 and 18. Now, it is high time you met the rest of us."

"Hi! I'm 13," said the small boy. "I'm a pirate! Arrgh! Great to meetcha!" The woman with the dark green skin stepped forward.

"Hello," she said. "My name is 36. You've already met my husband, 11. And this is our daughter, 47." She pointed to the little girl, who raised a hand and waved it.

"Hi!" she squealed loudly in a voice that was bursting with enthusiasm. I giggled internally and smiled widely at her, but then my smile disappeared when 11 sidestepped past his child and spoke again.

"Now, listen, miss," he said. "I know that it hasn't been long since your awakening, but I will need some information about you and your "clan". It could prove useful to 101. Please report to me in five minutes. 12 will guide you to my quarters." He looked around the group. "Come."

Everyone in the room trooped out behind 11. Well, except for 12. She stood there silently and watched her friends leave before coming towards me.

"You already know this but…I'm 12." She held out her hand and I shook it before leaning forward.

_I'm 4_, I flickered. _I don't speak, but I can use my eyes to talk to you by flashing lights through them. It's very nice to meet you, and thanks for saving us. But…what happened to your wings?_

"They're retractable," smiled 12. "That means I can pull them in and push them out when I have to. Or want to." She turned around and on her back were the metal poles, folded neatly in a pair.

Suddenly, they stretched out and held themselves in the same position they'd been in when she was flying, glossy white feathers sliding down from long narrow gaps in their undersides.

"See?" said 12, turning around and folding up her wings again. I nodded.

_That's so cool. I wish I was special like you._

"Oh, no, no, no," 12 tutted. "Young 4, don't you ever wish to be anything different than what you are."

"That is a very powerful statement," said 2. "You're quite knowledgeable for one so young." 12 gave him a weird look.

"I may be young, but I'm not _that _young," she said. She looked back to me and her smile returned. "Now, do you think you'll need a hand getting up, 4?"

_No, no. I can do it myself. All I'm worried about is what 11 and this 101 person plan to do with the "information" I give them. _12's face changed. She looked very, very uncomfortable.

"Oh, don't you go bothering yourself about that," she said, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Off we go." She turned and went to stand in the doorway. I yanked the blanket off myself and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

_There's something fishy going on around here_, I flickered to 6. He nodded.

"Just bear through it," he whispered. "For now, I think we should focus on observing this group and staying on their good sides. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this in time."


	7. Chapter 7

**OK, now I KNOW I'm obsessed with writing this story.**

**But my addiction to writing this story isn't nearly as obsessive as the way 8 just sits there and stares at 101 nervously. And I thought I was socially inept.**

**All 101's POV in this chapter.**

**OK, I know encouraging you to review at this point isn't so much beating a dead horse as it is beating a horse that's been dead, buried and decomposing for six months. But I'm gonna do it anyway. RAR (Review After Reading) or I will eat you Mom and Dad!**

Chapter 7

**101's POV**

I crouched amongst the leaves of a tree sapling. I think it was…oak, birch? Oh! Who knew the names of all these trees? Who gave a shit?

I'd found out where the old guy had gone after his corpse went missing from my hidey-hole yesterday. Somehow, he'd been restored to life and gone to the library that we'd stolen the talisman from.

And more of his group had been resurrected too. A Cyclops with a hole in his leather eye patch and a giant had gone to the library too. And 12 had rescued another old guy, a little stripy dude and one of the twins from the library yesterday.

The sapling I was sitting in was quite close to the window, and yet it was quite tall for such a young tree. It made the perfect place for me to see into the library. Or at least hear what the group was saying.

The other twin, the giant, the zippered leader, the brunette and the warrior woman gathered on the shelf just below the window a little while after dawn.

"She's still not back, then?" asked the leader.

"No," replied the warrior. "And we checked all of 4's usual hangouts. Twice, and all of them were empty."

"I couldn't find anything on 2 and 6 either," the giant added. "Not surprised considering the fact that one was literally sent down the river and one fell in a hole."

"Well, on the plus side, I managed to fix 5's eye patch," the brunette said. "And 1's coming along well, too. They'll be back to their old selves in no time at all."

"Good work, 16," said the warrior. "And it's good thing they'll be back to their old selves soon, because of they're not, we'll never get 1 out of our bed. And that means I'll never get the smell of him out of the room."

"Sev!" said the leader, half-laughing and half-scolding. The warrior just smiled.

"Well, he _does _have a bit of that "old person" smell that stuck to elderly humans hanging around him," she said. "Though you probably wouldn't know what that smells like since you never knew the Scientist."

"All right. That's enough of that," the giant interjected. "Getting back to why we're here in the first place, 4's not in any of her usual hangouts and she hasn't come back on her own. But she's bound to come back sooner or later. If there's one thing I know about the twins, it's that they don't like being separated from each other or from books for long."

He turned towards the window and his eyes widened when he spotted me. I wasted no time in propelling myself higher into the branches. Now I couldn't see them, and I could only hope that they couldn't see me.

"Did ya see that?" he asked the others. I heard footsteps. Probably them running over to the window to see if they could spot what he was talking about.

"What do you mean?" asked the brunette. "There's nothing there."

"But-But…There was a…A person…Up in that tree and…Aw! Forget it! You guys wouldn't listen to me anyway!" I heard stomping footsteps and then the three that could talk began conversing.

I climbed lower and began to make my way round to the other side of the sapling. I froze. The giant was sitting on a rock there, fingering a magnet. My hands felt slippery, and I was sure he was going to spot me again.

I tried to climb back round to the other side of the tree, but my foot slipped and a small twig snapped. The giant slowly turned round just as I steadied myself.

I was expecting him to yell to his friends, but he didn't. He just sat there staring, his little black pupils shifting slightly every now and again, taking me in.

I stared back, trying to keep my gaze fixated on his face, but my eyes kept straying downwards. I took in the magnet in his hands, the sticky-out muscles on his arms, the strong intense lining of his jaw, the trio of black stripes on his chin, the somehow frilly-looking shoulder pads around his neck that seemed to make him look even bigger.

Oh, what was I doing? I had a job to do, and yet here I was sitting around and acting like a dumb little schoolgirl with a crush. I climbed to the top before leaping off as far as I could.

The giant was still watching me when I stood up and dusted myself down. I gazed at him a final time and walked slowly away into the shelter of the tall grass. As soon as I was within its cover, I started to run.

**~Soulbound~**

I didn't go straight to 11's place once I'd distanced myself from the library. I went back to the "back-up factory" and sat down outside.

65 and 84 were there, playing a game of poker. And from the sounds of it, 84 was winning just a few times too many for 65's liking.

I tried playing my flute, but all I could think of was the giant. I _had _to see him again, learn more about him.

I made a decision right then and there that once my rendezvous with 11 was over, I would return to the library.

I got up and started sprinting. 65 and 84 must've thought I was barmy.

Or in love.


	8. Chapter 8

Well, you guys, it's summertime. And that means there'll be more updates than you can count over the next two months. And you'll soon get an idea as to why 8 is listed as one of the featured characters in this story.

**6, 101 and 8's POVs in this chapter. And Freida Right, I know you didn't wanna see 9 moping around like that too much. Don't you worry. He's only done that in one chapter so far, and if people who like seeing him like that are fans if this story, there'll be some disappointment for them. 'Cause if they're lucky, they'll only see him like that in one or two more chapters.**

**OK, enough ramblings from an idiot like me. RAR as usual. Now, enjoy!**

Chapter 8

**6's POV**

The place where 11's group lived was a crawlspace underneath the remains of a house that had been divided up into different rooms.

When our clan had lived at Sanctuary, we'd divided up a crawlspace underneath the bell tower in a similar way. The only difference was that 11's crawlspace was divided up into living areas as well as bedrooms, while the crawlspace in the Sanctuary had only been divided up into bedrooms.

2, 4 and I were given three separate rooms in the same area of the crawlspace, and that was convenient because it made it easier for us to talk to one another when we needed to.

Well, 2 and I did most of the talking, but you know. The three of us decided to meet in one of our rooms every night at quarter to twelve and return to our respective bedrooms at midnight.

"The Witching Hour" 4 had decided to call our meetings, and on the night of the day she woke up, we were to meet in 2's room. When we met up, we were to discuss what we'd learned about life in the crawlspace and its inhabitants, as well as our course of action for getting back to the library.

Finally, after feeling rather antsy for quite a while, it was time for me to go and see the others. Slowly, quietly, I opened my door, shut it behind me so that anyone who walked past would assume I was asleep, walked across the way to 2's room and knocked.

"What's the password?" asked a voice on the other side of the door.

"The Source is our guide," I answered. The door opened and I quickly and quietly slunk inside. 4 was sitting cross-legged on the bed and while I sat down next to her, 2 jammed a chair against the door. Then, he dragged another chair over to the foot of the bed and sat down.

"Right," he said. "Let's get down to business. First of all, we know that 11 is the leader and 36 and 47 are his wife and daughter. Anything to add?"

"For some unknown reason, 18 is his second-in-command, not 36," I said. "Do you have anything to add, 4?"

_Yes_, she flickered. _12 told me that their motto is "Saoirse", pronounced "Sear-sha". It's Irish for "Freedom", and can also be used as a girl's name, but it became a little too closely associated with Republicanism for that purpose in the early 1900s. 12 said that they call their crawlspace "An Áit de Saoirse", which means "The Place of Freedom" and that freedom is exactly what her group is fighting for. Though she wouldn't tell me who or what they wanted freedom from, no matter how much I pressured her._

I repeated all of this to 2 and he nodded.

"What was her initial reaction when you asked her what her group was fighting for freedom from?" he asked.

_She did the same thing she did in the infirmary, when I wondered what and why 11 wanted to know about our clan and how this 101 person was involved in all of this. She looked uncomfortable, she started trying to change the subject and her voice trembled when she talked until I stopped trying to get stuff like that out of her._

Once again, I repeated this to 2 and once again, he nodded.

"Well, from the looks of it, 11 runs a pretty tight ship around here," he said. "He's happy enough to ask questions and receive answers, but he doesn't like to be asked questions and having to give answers. And he doesn't like the others in his group being asked questions and having to give answers either. So, he makes sure that everything about his group stays hushed up and that everything about everything else is open to discussion."

_You know what _I _think? _said 4._ I think that 11's a hypnotist and that he makes anyone in his group who's asked a certain question about the group starts acting strangely. And maybe he hypnotises newcomers into doing the same to make them part of his group._

"Don't be ridiculous, 4," I laughed. "11 couldn't be a hypnotist. And even if he is, there's not enough evidence to prove him. For starters, in the case of mind-controlling hypnotism, the victims always talk monotonously and walk about in a marching way while looking like they're in a trance. And you saw what happened to 1 and 5 when the snake used flashing lights to hypnotise them. They do any of the things that I just mentioned. They were just temporarily entranced."

"Erm…you lost me," said 2. "What exactly did 4 say?"

"Oh, it's nothing," I said to him. "Now, back to business. I think you're right, 2. 11 and his group are certainly very private about their own affairs. The affairs of others, not so much. So, there's obviously something going on that they don't want us to know about. And if they're so keen on squeezing personal information out of us and passing it on to this 101, whatever's going on somehow involves our clan."

"Speaking of 101, I caught a glimpse of her earlier this evening," 2 interjected. "I saw an unfamiliar girl come in and ask 18 if she could talk to 11. Then she went into 11's quarters and dashed back out five minutes later. She hung around for a little bit before running off somewhere else. I tried to ask 18 what was going on, but he just said that the girl's name was 101, made an excuse to go to his room and ran off."

"That's just it," I nodded. "They're only quick when it comes to running away. And for another thing, nobody's brought up the subject of finding a way to get us home. Something's telling me that they don't want us to leave. Maybe they want the others to come here and think that we'll be reason enough to make them do so."

"That's a very good theory, 6. The question is…why?"

"I think that's something we'll have to work out for ourselves, 2. Because "why" is a question these guys never answer." We all looked to the right of the bed at the wristwatch hanging pinned to the wall. Both hands were pointing straight up.

"Midnight," said 2. "It looks like it's time we all got to bed." 4 and I nodded. "All right, then. Goodnight, you two. And 4, don't forget that we're meeting in your room tomorrow night." We nodded again and hopped off the bed.

2 and I said "goodnight" again after he let us out and then I walked with 4 to her room.

"Well, good night, 4," I said as she opened her door. She looked over her shoulder and smiled before walking a few steps forward and turning to face me.

_Good night, 6_, she flickered. Then, without warning, she closed her eyes, leaned forward and gave me a small kiss on the cheek before swiftly shutting the door.

I walked slowly towards my own room and closed the door the second I was inside, sliding into my bed in total darkness.

I lay awake stroking the spot on my cheek where 4 had kissed me for a long time before I finally dozed off.

**101's POV**

My soul container was pounding.

_Calm down_, I told myself. _You're not robbing a bank. You're not kidnapping anyone. No, you're just going to risk everything to talk to a guy you stared at this morning on a self-assigned mission that will most likely cost you your life._

OK, that wasn't a very good attempt at self-reassurance. But really, it was better than some attempts at self-reassurance that I've seen in bad old-timey first-person-perspective romance novels.

Still, I stood trembling outside the library gates. It took all of my will not to scream and run away. I gave a determined little grunt and started to stride towards the entrance.

I was halfway across the courtyard when I saw the big guy standing on the top step.

**8's POV**

There was a full moon out tonight, and for a second, I almost thought I was back in 1950, the night the Sanctuary burned down. I even looked to the left of the entrance to the library, expecting to see the orange glow of a fire on the horizon.

I turned my head back towards the gates, and that's when I saw a small shape standing in the middle of the courtyard. I couldn't see much since the moonlight made it look shadowy, but it was definitely one of our kind.

"Who's there?" I called out to it. "Who is it?" A nervous female voice answered.

"K-Keep it down. Come over here and I'll talk. Just don't shout."

I didn't reply to that, but when I started hopping down the steps towards her, I _knew _that this was a bit too similar to that night fifteen years ago for my liking. The whole time I was walking towards her, I was half-expecting her to morph into an old guy sewn onto the tail of a doll-faced snake and start flashing lights through her eyes.

"Well," she said when I stopped centimetres away from her, "here we are." There was something in her smile that somehow made me a bit uncomfortable.

"So, what now?" She stopped smiling for a second and tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"How about introductions?" she suggested at last.

"Sounds good," I shrugged.

"OK. My name's 101. I'm the…girl hiding in a tree you more or less met this morning." She held out a hand but pulled it back when I didn't shake it. "And you would be…?"

"8," I said. She nodded.

"Well, 8, I was the first to suggest what we should talk about. Now, it's your turn."

"How about you tell me what you were doing spying on me and my friends." This time, when she dropped the smile, it stayed away.

"Sorry. That's classified."

"Class-what?"

"That means "private"."

"Oh." I heard noises and the girl swivelled round, looking scared.

"101!" shouted a male voice. "101?"

"101!" A female voice joined in the call. "101, come now!"

"Hey, kid, who are those people?" I asked. She didn't answer right away, but when she did, she didn't even look at me.

"Er…Goodbye! I'm really…very sorry, but…ugh! I have to go!"

"Wait a minute!" I said, reaching out a hand to try and grab her back. But she had already sprinted halfway towards the gate.

Once she was out of the gates, I lowered my arm and turned round, starting to walk back towards the library.

"101, huh?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, it's time we left 101 and her crowd behind for a little while. And it's also time for 1 to learn the hard way to keep it in his pants.**

**You'll see what I mean by that soon enough…**

**All 1's POV. RAR. Enjoy, and sorry you had to wait this long for a chapter this short. Well, actually, you didn't have to wait that long but, yeah.**

Chapter 9

**1's POV**

"So, how was it?" I asked 16 when she came out of her parents' room.

"Sorry?"

"How did 9 convince your mother to let you go scouting?"

"Oh, I don't know. He just said something along the lines of, "After nine years, we finally have a chance to get her out of the library. Don't you ruin this, woman!" But what they both wanted to know is how I got _you _to go scouting with me."

"Well, for starters, we have a new crisis on our hands," I said. "And if scouting is all I can contribute to evening up the odds in our favour, I want to be thorough."

"Oh, funny. Last time I checked, Mom said you would've done the exact opposite fifteen years ago."

"Exactly. _Fifteen years ago_."

"That's what Dad said." 16 was putting some things into a small backpack and _still _talking. "He said you've had a change of heart and Mom should give you a second chance. Mom said she thinks it's a trick and you're still a self-obsessed twat who uses people at heart. And 5…well, your sudden transformation is doing little more than scaring the hell out of him." I tried and failed to scoff.

"5's always been scared of me when I do something unexpected," I said as I took the backpack and draped it over a shoulder. "And as for 7, she's always had a knack for saying something sarky just to see how I'd react."

"Yeah, I kinda got that from her reaction to Dad's statement. Hold this." She tossed her sword (some old machete-like thing made from a sharpened nail file) at me but I let it fall to the floor while she wrapped a rope around herself. She scowled at me with her eyes as she bent down to pick up her sword.

"You have your mother's eyes."

"When I'm angry, yeah. Dad's told me that every time I've glared since I was five." She stood up and nodded once. "All right, let's go."

"Hold on. Isn't 8 coming with us?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. He said he couldn't make it so 5's coming instead. He told me he'd meet us by the gates. C'mon." She started walking and sure enough, 5 was waiting just outside of the gates.

About ten minutes after we left the library, 16 started teasing me about running into the creature from the other day again. I knew she was only playing around, but still all it accomplished was making me start picking at the back of my neck uncomfortably.

Then, we came across something that sent violent shivers down all three of our spines.

It was a flagpole grave marker, similar to the ones 9 had erected when he'd built our funeral pyre. Except this one had toppled over and so much dirt had covered it in the process that we couldn't even see what number was written on it. There was a hole in front of it, as if someone had been looking for something inside the grave. But even that wasn't as horrifying as what we all saw right away, what was lying half in and half out of the hole.

It was a dead body, no doubt about it. The mouth was wide open, so something was telling me that the talisman had been at work here. Though judging by black eyes and the multiple scars all over it, the dead person had been killed by something else before the talisman took their soul. Too late not to see the face. I knew who it was right away.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," 5 gasped slowly. "It can't be 14."

"Oh, yes. It is," I confirmed. 16 looked nauseous and confused at the same time.

"Who's Four-Oh, wait. Never mind. If it's important, I'll find out about it later," she said.

"Funny you should say that," said a slightly-muffled voice. "Because if by "later" you mean, "right now", then I concur." We all spun round to see a young lady standing there.

Her skin was grey, and her hair was an even darker shade of said colour. It hung down her back in a long thick ponytail. A red scarf was tied around her neck and pulled up until it was just underneath her eyes, obscuring the bottom half of her face. She held a star screwdriver and her hands and feet looked like 14's. Beyond that, she looked eerily like me. Then again, I could say the same for 14 when I first met her.

"I'm sorry," said 16, "but could you say that again, please?" The woman narrowed her eyes at 9's daughter.

"What? Do you think I'm stupid?" she asked. 16 shook her head.

"I never said I did, but I never said I didn't either. I _do _think you're being vague just to annoy us, though."

"Don't gimme that." The woman folded her arms. "I see what you're doin'. You're just playing dumb to throw me off your scent. I know you're the ones that did this." She gestured to the hole.

"I don't suppose you have any proof?" I asked her. She glared at me out of the corner of her eye, keeping her gaze focused on 16 the entire time.

"When it comes to a crime being committed," she said, "the first rule is that the perpetrator or perpetrators will always return to the crime scene. And you're the first people I've seen in these parts since I found the grave in this state."

"Aw, c'mon now, 15," said 5, swaggering his way past 16 and me. "Do I look like the kind of person who'd willingly go around digging up graves?" The woman's eyes suddenly turned happy and she raised a hand.

"Oh, hi, 5!" she squealed. "Fancy meeting _you _here!" 16 looked puzzled.

"You know her?" she said to 5. "Who is she?"

"I knew her once, long ago. She helped me bring 9 into the workshop when his shoulder was ripped. Her name's 15."

"Mmm-hmm. And it's a good thing her name rhymes slightly with "mood swing" because these constant shifts in attitude of hers are giving me whiplash."

"Well, in spite of all those mood swings, she's always hasty. That's for sure. She helped me bring 9 in and then she dashed right back out, shouting something about going to find her father."

"And I'm _still _trying to find him," whined 15. "But, that quest has been put on hold since I'm currently trying to find the joker who tore my mother's grave apart."

"Mother?" I said. "Did you just say "mother"?"

"Yes. Why?"

"And did you just call _14 _"mother"?"

"Yeah. She _is_-was-my mom. She said that she named me after the result you get when you add her name to my father's name."

Next to me, 16 gasped and 5 murmured something that sounded like "Oh, sweet sister! Mother of mercy!"HoH. I don't really know how, but in the next second I was sitting on the ground and 15 was coming towards me.

"Hey, are you OK?" she asked. I didn't respond. I just raised a hand and let it rest on the left side of my face, next to my eyes. 15 poked me a few times, but I kept my head bent down. Finally, she stopped poking me and stood up.

"What's with _him_?" she asked 5. 5 inhaled and exhaled slowly before answering. I, meanwhile, realised that when 14 left, she'd taken more than just the blanket from my bed.

"15…" 5 broke off and tapped me on the shoulder briefly, probably to get her to look at me again. "_This _is your father."


	10. Chapter 10

This chapter was quite hard to write. I actually had to rewrite the first part with the awkward conversation between 1 and 15 a few times.

By the way, in case anybody's wondering, this story takes place in 1965 because like 8 mentioned earlier, the movie took place in 1950 (at least, it did in my eyes).

1 and 4's POVs in this chapter. RAR. Enjoy.

_Chapter 10_

1's POV

15 stood there in silence for a long time, as if 5 had turned her into a statue. The silence drove me crazy while I waited for someone to break it, because I certainly wasn't going to be the one to do so. I started counting 16's breaths to keep track of the time.

Seventeen breaths later, 5 said, "Is anyone else feeling a little creeped out because of all this standing around with no talking?"

"Maybe they'll start talking if we leave them be for a few minutes," 16 suggested helpfully. Then, she seemed to change her mind. "Or maybe not."

I felt I had to talk then, because if I had to endure any more of these unnecessarily long pauses, I was going to explode.

"Please, just go away and let me talk to her," I said. I pushed myself to my feet and 16 nodded.

"OK," she said to me. "We'll be hiding behind that bush over there if you need us. And try not to stall between questions and answers too much. It still gives me the gibblies when Dad does that when Mom's yelling at him."

"Er…all right," I said. 16 nodded again and she and 5 walked away slowly. I waited until they were behind the bush before turning towards 15. Her scarf was still pulled up under her eyes, so her expression was unreadable for the most part.

"All right," I said slowly. "I know this probably feels as strange and awkward for you as it does for me, but I honestly don't know what to say. Can you at least tell me what happened to 14 after she left the cathedral?"

"…Well, she never really told me anything about what her life was like before I was born," 15 began after a short pause. "She _did _say that she spent a long time living with the scientist that made her before he started making 9 and asked her to leave. She also said she spent a lot of time reading his notes."

"Well, I _did _know that. Can you tell me more?"

"Hmm…well, she told me once that when she read her scientist's notes on how our kind can have children, she didn't really believe it was possible. But I guess it was lucky that she read them anyway 'cause then she didn't panic when she found out she was pregnant."

"Will you two stop sounding so forced when you talk?" 5 yelled from behind the bush. "I'm gettin' antsy!"

"All right, all right, all right!" I shouted back. "Keep your shirt on! Honestly!" That got him to quiet down. "Sorry, 15. Carry on."

"OK. So…again, Mom didn't really talk about her past. All she really said about why I never saw you was because she'd had an argument with you and left. And then, a week later, she found out she was pregnant and had me three months after that. And of course, living out here came with the daily struggle against the Beast. That mother of mine…she put a weapon in my hand the minute I could hold one and I've never put it down since. Well, you know what I mean."

"Well, yes, I know what you mean. You couldn't exactly sleep with a weapon in your hand." I tried and failed to chuckle. "But, how did your mother die?" I thought she went stiff then, but I couldn't be sure. She certainly took her time answering, though.

"I was…out for a walk," she said hesitantly. "And then, the Beast came charging and Mom came charging and I…I didn't really know what to make of anything. But the next thing I knew, the Beast had run off and Mom was on the ground. I came out of my hiding place and helped her get back to our place. I tried to heal her, but she never taught me how to sew and I wasn't very good with the needle. After a little while, she told me to stop and go to bed. She said she'd be fine in the morning."

At this point, she sounded like she was struggling not to cry at this stage.

"You can stop now," I told her. "Is this too difficult?" She shook her head.

"N-no. I-I want to continue. Anyway, she said she'd be fine, but I still didn't want to go to bed and leave her alone. She kept pestering me to get some sleep and eventually, I caved in. Her room was right next to mine, so I could hear her lying in bed and in pain all night. But in the morning when I woke up, I couldn't hear anything. And when I went to look, I knew she was gone, even though I tried CPR for five minutes straight. I finished sewing her wounds, though I knew it wouldn't do her any good, and buried her that afternoon. About a month later, I met 9. And that's it."

We stood in silence for a minute or so, and then 15 spoke again.

"I still can't believe I've finally found you." Then, she folded her arms and faked an indignant look with the part of her face that was visible. "You kept me waiting long enough."

"Well, I'm very sorry, ma'am." I heard stifled giggling coming from behind the bush and then 15 threw her arms around me.

4's POV

_I can't remember why we're doing this_, I flickered to 6. We were in the main living area of the crawlspace ("The Common Room", 12 called it) with 2, and apparently the three of us were to meet 101 today.

"Just bear through it," he whispered to me. Then, he cried out when 12 gave him a little dig in the back.

"Be quiet!" she hissed. There was an urgent edge to her voice, along with that familiar tremble that was really starting to bug me. But the thing is, her hiss didn't sound like a threat. It sounded more like a warning.

"Now," said 11, "101 is on her way. On no, repeat _no_, account should you be discourteous to her while she is here. She risks her life to help our cause every single day, so you would be wise to show respect whenever she is in the same room as you."

At this point, 18 came running in. Well, not so much running as stumbling because of his peg leg. Anyway, he came _stumbling _in with his hair all over his face, puffing and panting.

"All right, everyone," he said once he'd caught his breath. "She's about to come in." He moved towards the roof tile that covered the hole he'd come in through and slid it to one side. A lady walked in, and she looked taller than 16 but smaller than 8.

She was carrying a mathematical compass in her hands, and a red scarf was wrapped about her shoulders. The wristband she was using as a belt was red too, and she had ropes tied around the seams on her shoulders. A large "0" was painted on her chest and a small "1" was painted on each shoulder. She was the only female in this group besides 36 who didn't have any hair, and a wide smile was on her face.

"2, 4, 6, this is 101," said 11. The lady approached him and extended a hand in a way that made me start thinking that this was how they _always _greeted each other. 11 took her hand and gently kissed her knuckles while she closed her eyes and bent her long, lean back into a bow.

"Is her name 101 or Queen Elizabeth I?" 6 whispered jokingly. He struggled not to cry out again when 12 gave him a discreet punch on the shoulder. I straightened myself and nonchalantly held my hands behind my back when the lady approached.

"G-Good evening, ma'am," 6 said as she stopped in front of him. I could tell he was trying his best not to stutter or be nervous. "Number 6, at your service." The lady's smile widened and she giggled.

"No need to be formal with me," she said. "You can just call me 101, not something silly like "Miss 101" or "ma'am". So, don't listen to anything 11 says about formality when it involves me." She extended a hand and 6 reluctantly took it and shook it. Then, she moved on to 2.

"And who might you be, good sir?" she asked. She extended her hand again and 2 took it and kissed it immediately.

"My name would be 2, my dear lady," he said. I rolled my eyes.

_Always the gentleman_, I quickly flickered to 6. Unfortunately, the lights from my eyes caught 101's eye and I quickly got myself back into position. But on the plus side, 101 seemed more reluctant to come near me than she did the others.

"So…er…you're the little mute girl called 4, eh?" she stammered nervously. "My name is 101. 12 tells me you can speak to me using lights in your eyes. Can you?"

_Yes_, I said to her in flicker-speak. _It's actually pretty convenient and much easier than writing stuff down or using sign language all the time. Besides, it's hard for our kind to use pens since they're the same size as us._

"Well, you're right there," said 101. She moved away from me and spoke to 11. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go. I told those two that I would be gone fifteen, twenty minutes tops."

"Very well," said 11. And seconds after he spoke, 101 was out of the room at top speed. Then, he addressed us all. "The rest of you are dismissed."

The group slowly dispersed, with our trio being one of the first few to do so. 2 went into his room as we bypassed it, but when we stopped by 6's room, I turned and spoke to him.

_I'd like a word with you in my room. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about more than anything else._

I grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him into my room. It was very dim, but we could still see each other.

"What is it?" 6 asked. I let out a silent breath and looked at him.

_After the Witching Hour last night, I kissed you._

"And?"

…_We talked about this before. At the cathedral, remember?_

"How could I forget?"

How could either of us forget? We both knew exactly what I was talking about now, and yet neither of us knew the correct way to proceed with the conversation.

I'd gone to 6's drawing corner one day, and told him I loved him. He was shocked but I told him that as much as I wanted to, I couldn't be in a relationship with him.

Why? Well, for starters, I couldn't be sure if my love for him was true or if I was in love with the idea of love because I was young. And he, of course, was worried about what people would think. It wasn't about age in this case (after all, I was older than him), it was about a mute booklover being in a relationship with an artistic oracle.

(Also, he didn't want to put me in harm's way if we _did_ start a relationship and 1 and 8 found out).

But the one big question I wanted him to answer was; "Do you love me back?" I had stood there, tense and just waiting for his "no". But before he could answer, 3 came and flickered that 7 was sneaking out with a backpack full of her stuff. I'd told 6 that I'd come back for his answer in a few minutes and ran off with 3 to find 7, but I didn't come back in a few minutes. In fact, I never came back to Sanctuary at all.

A few years after that night, he'd come to the library with the others but things had been so hectic (what with all the killer machines) that I hadn't had time to ask him the question again. And then, he'd died.

I wasn't young anymore. I was bigger and older. And I was sure about my feelings towards 6 this time. I just needed his answer now.

_I haven't changed in the way I feel about you since then_, I flickered. _Now, 6, I want you to tell me; do you love me back?_

I waited for what seemed like forever, but then, he gave me his answer.

"Yes, 4. I love you. With all my heart, I love you."


	11. Chapter 11

OK. The previous chapter was unfortunately the last we'll see of 4 for a while. But next time we see her…there'll be a little surprise on the way.

**Freida Right (and anyone else who read my profile), if you just read that last line, I'm sure you know what I was talking about. If you didn't read my profile and got that line anyway, score yourself ten bonus points!**

**12, 5 and 101's POVs in this chapter. Now, RAR and enjoy.**

**Oh! And before I forget, I just wanna let you know that I suck, suck, SUCK at trying to write about fight scenes so we don't actually see much when a brawl starts up between 5's group and 65 and 84. I'm sorry.**

Chapter 11

**12's POV**

After 11 dismissed us, 4 and her friends went off to their rooms. I, on the other hand, decided to go stretch my wings for a while. My chest was hurting so I figured that it was the opportune time for a flight.

You see, I have this condition that causes the metal that makes up my bones to overheat when I'm stressed too often. In turn, the overheating of my bones causes chest pain. And eventually, this pain reaches a point where it comes close to being on the same level as a heart attack.

While the condition doesn't actually cause me to have a heart attack and die, it can cause permanent paralysis of an appendage or a limb if I don't do anything about the chest pain soon after I start feeling it.

18 has the same condition as me, and that's why he has a peg leg. The paralysis started in his right leg and spread as far as his knee before the leg was amputated below the thigh.

I've never had to have a limb amputated, but a part of my left ankle got paralysed this one time. So, if you look closely when I'm walking, you'll notice that there's always the slightest hesitation of my left foot.

18 and I both have our methods of relieving the chest pain and stopping our bones from overheating. 18 fills a bowl with water, gets into it and lies in it for hours on end in his room, surrounded by candles.

The cold water relieves the overheating and the candlelit room relieves stress (18's always been a romantic fool, even though he's a virgin who's never had a girlfriend), but there's no way I'm goin' down _that _path. Besides, I prefer flying 'cause it both cools me down and relieves stress.

Anyway, after we were dismissed, I went outside, unfolded my wings and began to flap them slowly whilst bending and straightening my legs to build up momentum.

"4…3…2…1!" I yelled the last number and leapt into the air, kicking it into overdrive with the flapping in the process. Within eight seconds, I was ten metres above the wreck of the house and starting to fly in the direction I was facing.

As I flew, I closed my eyes and breathed slowly, my arms and legs pointing back in the direction of my home and my dreads whirling in all directions. Oh, God, you have no idea how good it all feels.

After a few more minutes of flying this way, I opened my eyes to see where I was. I frowned when I saw the huge black building where 101 and those other two lived.

101 referred to the place as "the back-up factory". Apparently, when the Chancellor who controlled the Machine had been alive, he'd had a second factory on the opposite side of the bridge as the first one. If the first one (the main one that the clan at the library had blown up) was badly damaged or destroyed, the Machine could be moved to the other one.

I didn't want to get too close to the factory in case 65 and 84 spotted me and tried to pick a fight. I think it's too much hassle carrying a weapon around, so I'm not much for combat. At the most, I'd fly up to dodge my adversary's attacks and then dive-bomb them.

I fluttered down in a swirling motion and walked towards a stone upon landing. As I turned around to sit on it, I folded my wings behind my back and smiled to myself. I'd enjoyed that flight in spite of how brief it had been, and I was already looking forward to the flight home.

I sat there hugging my knees for about five minutes before I looked to my right and saw four people coming towards me.

**5's POV**

15 led us to the remains of a railway car. All that was left of it was the right-hand side of the two rows of seats, behind which was half of the door to the next carriage. In front of the row of seats was a hole that was about two metres long. And, in fact, only four seats remained in the row.

"Mom and I have lived here since before I was born," 15 told us. "She always used to say that weathering whatever nature could throw at you could make you stronger. So, she moved in here after she left the cathedral. And since we had to live with running away from and fighting the Beast, she never allowed either of us to stay in bed after sunrise once I was old enough to use a weapon."

"Oh. Erm…thanks for…telling us that," said 16. She made sure neither 1 nor 15 was looking before glancing at me and twirling a finger near her temple.

While 15 went inside the railway car, 1 stood waiting near the mouth of the hole and I sat down on the dirt next to 16.

"I'm thinkin' about giving my room to 15 for a while," she said to me. "Just until she gets settled."

"Uh…OK," I replied. "If you really wanna do that, you can room with me."

"Thanks."

"What are you two whispering about?" 1 asked. He had an eyebrow raised and his pupils were narrow but at least, he didn't glare (I'd found his glares even more intimidating recently because his left eye was cracked and he had to constantly squint to see out of it).

"Nothing, 1," said 16. "I was just saying how I might give my room to 15 until she gets settled at the library. And 5 was just saying that if I do, he'll share his room with me."

"That's…very nice of you, 16. But really, you don't need to do that. I'm sure 15 will be fine in one of the pigeon holes in the twins' study."

"You're sure I'll be fine in…what?" said 15 as she came outside. She was now carrying a backpack similar to the one her father had (it still felt weird when I thought of them as father and daughter in my head).

"Never mind that," said 1. "I'll tell you later. Now, let's go." I thought for a minute that since 9 wasn't around at the moment, 1 was suddenly playing the leader again. But I couldn't be sure.

Unfortunately, 15 didn't know where the library was, and neither 1 nor 16 nor I had ever been in this part of the Emptiness before. So, for the most part of the first attempt at getting home, this is what most of our conversations went like;

1: "Wait a minute, you lot. This bush looks familiar. I can swear we've passed it three times already. I know we did."

15: "No, we didn't!"

Me: "Maybe we should-"

15: "Shut up!"

16: (annoyed grunt) "We're lost!"

15: "WE'RE NOT LOST!"

Yeah, we weren't exactly getting anywhere fast. And why? Because 15 was apparently stubborn (damn 1 for passing _that _trait on to her), 16 was apparently completely clueless when it came to navigation, I was apparently coming close to going out of my mind over the whole thing and 1 was apparently useless.

Confused, tired and almost overcome with frustration, the four of us continued on until 15 suddenly cried out.

"Beard of Jesus!" she yelled. "There is some strange little girl over there staring at us!" We all looked up and my soul container skipped a beat.

A young lady sat on a rock, her knees pulled up under her chin with her arms wrapped round them. I thought I caught a glimpse of metal poles on her back, but I couldn't be sure. Pink ribbons were tied around her elbows and knees, contrasting greatly with her dark skin. Beside her cheeks were six woollen dreadlocks, which literally flamed with colour. Her expression was a combination of simple confusion and subtle curiosity that was somehow adorable.

"Maybe _she _can give us directions," said 16. I nodded before either 1 or 15 or both could protest and took a few steps towards the woman.

"Hey, excuse me, but would you happen to know about a library with a courtyard of statues outside it?" I asked her. She blinked at me.

"Yes, I think so," she said after a pause. "I'm not entirely sure if I can direct you to it from here, though. Huh?" She looked away from me and I heard the sound of dirt crunching underfoot.

Three people came from around the corner; some blonde chick who was about the same size as 8, a tall skinny dude with a zipper and a smaller girl who was just about 1's height.

"Ah," said the blonde chick. "I didn't expect to find you out here, 12. Out spying for 11 and his cult again, are you?" The woman pushed herself off the rock and tossed her hair. She was facing away from us, and I could see that there really _were _metal poles folded on her back.

"65," she tutted, "did you really come all this way just to nag me?" The blonde, 65, chuckled darkly.

"I go out of my way," she said, her voice rising in anger as she spoke, "and _this_ is how you treat me? Seize the traitor!" She raised a hand as she screamed the last three words, and the other two rushed forward (though the girl was a little more hesitant in doing so than the man) and grabbed the woman's arms.

"Hey!" she yelled, struggling to pull her arms out of their grasp. "Let me go!" Then, she seemed to either remember or realise something and the metal poles on her back unfolded _by themselves_. And what's more, white feathers came out from the undersides of the poles and the woman took off into the air.

"Kill her!" shouted 65 in her fury. "Knock her out of the sky!" The woman was flapping the feathered poles and starting to fly away now. The skinny dude unzipped his chest, pulled out a small metal object and hurled it at the woman. It struck her on the head and she cried out and crashed to the ground behind some garbage.

"You!" 65 yelled, pointing a finger at the other girl. "Find her and finish her off! We'll handle _them_!" The girl took off and the skinny dude pulled two objects out of his chest before zipping it closed again. He tossed one at 65 and both of the objects unfolded into spears. I reached into my pack and pulled out my crossbow.

"Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" I shouted at them. 65 smiled sadistically.

"I am pleased," she laughed.

**12's POV**

I was lying on my back, my wings digging painfully into my spine. And I was muttering as I rubbed the spot where 84's metal…thing (I'm not sure what to call it, exactly) had hit me on the head when 101 came running round the corner.

"I'm sorry, 12," she said, once she'd caught her breath and pulled her scarf down so I could see her mouth. "65 sent me here to…finish you off."

"No worries," I said, raising my head and spreading my arms wide like a crucifix. "Just cut up my chest a little bit or something. Your compass is sharp enough for that, and if you use it to knock me out after, 65 might think I'm dead."

"And if she doesn't, she's going to rip your head off and turn my face into mashed potato."

"Aw, c'mon, mate," I said. "You've been through worse situations than what you just described. You're braver than that. And trust me, I know. So, come on, 101. I can take it because I swear nothing feels more painful to me than my condition." 101 sighed.

"Oh…OK," she said finally. "Just…stay still so I won't make a mess." I nodded and laid my head back. 101 knelt beside me and hesitated before stabbing her compass into my left hip.

I couldn't help myself. I let out a cross between a shriek and a gasp, and then began to scream uncontrollably as 101 began to tear diagonally across my chest to my right shoulder. When the compass was pulled out of my shoulder and I finally stopped screaming, I gasped for breath and searched for 101's face.

That was all I could remember before something cold and hard and made of metal put my lights out.

**5's POV**

The fight was more or less a stalemate from the start. While the skinny dude (whose name, according to 65's constant screaming, was 84) sparred with 15 (who had been assigned the task of protecting her father by me), 16 and I were caught up in a brawl with 65.

Then, it all stopped when there was a scream from where the winged woman (whose name was apparently 12) had gone down. And then, thirty seconds later, the girl who had a red scarf covering her mouth came running back.

"The dark deed you requested is done, 65," she said once she'd caught her breath. 65 smiled in a way that really got me confused. And why? Because the way she smiled was almost older-sisterly.

"Good girl," she said sweetly to her friend. "We can go home now." She turned back to us and bowed slightly, still smiling. "That was a great battle. Congratulations. Sorry to bother you." And with that, she raced off with her cronies in tow.

"That 65 girl is fucked-up," 15 muttered a few seconds after the trio disappeared.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," said 16. Then, she placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked at her. "5, don't you think we should go find that woman and make sure she's OK?"

"Why should we?" asked 1. "You heard them. 65 asked that other to kill that woman, and she did. There's no point in going to make sure she's all right. We should just get out of here and save ourselves before those people come back."

"Now, that's the 1 I know and love," I said. "Grumpy, rude and inconsiderate." 1 scowled and the girls giggled while I couldn't help grinning back at him. "Sorry, but it's true. Now, come on. 16 and I are going to check out the spot where that woman went down. If you two want to join us, you're welcome to do so."

"I'm with you guys," said 15.

"What?" exclaimed 1. But then he sighed and shook his head before folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "Oh, fine."

He kept his arms folded and his eyes narrowed for the entire minute or so that we spent walking. He only unfolded his arms when we found the woman sprawled on her back.

The woman's eyes were shut and her head was lolling against her right shoulder, her hair all over her face. Her wings were still open and her arms were splayed out sideways, her chest and left hip torn open.

"Miss, are you all right?" I asked as I knelt next to her head. "Say something." Her lips parted slightly and incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo came out. "Come again?"

"An Áit de Saoirse," she mumbled. "Take me to An Áit de Saoirse."

"What's she saying?" 15 asked 1.

"I don't know," he replied. "But it sounds Irish."

"That's because it _is_ Irish," 16 told him. "She's asking us to take her to An Áit de Saoirse. That means she wants to go somewhere called The Place of Freedom, but I have no idea what that is." I looked up at the three of them.

"It doesn't matter now," I said. "She needs help."

**101's POV**

"What's wrong with me?" I stomped around the outside of the back-up factory, driving my fists and feet into anything within a five-centimetre radius. "I can't believe I did that to 12! She was our friend!"

"She was never our friend," 65 growled spitefully under her breath. "She was a spy and a traitor, who put her own selfish desires above her loyalty to her creator. She deserved what she got." I was shocked at what I'd just heard.

"You don't mean that," I gasped in disbelief.

"Oh, but I do," replied my sister. A gust of wind swept through the area and she shivered, rubbing moving her hand along the parts of her arms that were above her elbows. She pushed herself off the wall with her spine and stopped at the door.

"Guys," she said, "I'm going inside to sleep. It's cold." I nodded and slumped against the wall as she disappeared. Seconds later, 84 was standing in the doorway looking at me.

"It looks like it's getting dark now, 101," he said. "It's time for us to be getting inside, I think."

"You go on ahead. I wanna spend a few more minutes out here by myself." He nodded and smiled slightly.

"Sure, pal. Take all the time you need. I'm going to bed." He went inside and I stood there in the same way 65 had for about ten minutes. After that, I finally raised my head and looked up at the slowly-appearing stars briefly.

I started to run. I _had _to talk to 8.


	12. Chapter 12

Up to this point, nobody seemed to think that since the talisman was stolen, 14's grave was defiled with her soul being taken right after and 1 and 16 were attacked by a robotic centipede thing, maybe the Machine is back.

**But now, we get to see a little bitchfest between 1 and 7 because 1 has realised that the Machine has been resurrected. I don't actually think that he figured this out on his own. I just think that maybe, he was the first person to put two and two together.**

**8 and 101's POVs in this chapter. Read, review and enjoy.**

Chapter 12

**8's POV**

9 was drumming his fingers on the top book in the pile next to him. You could tell he was worried, and what was worse, he was trying to comfort 3 over his sister's attack at the same time. By that, I mean 3 was kneeling on the floor beside 9, slumped against him while his "dad" had his right arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"When do you think they'll be back?" 7 asked me. I shrugged, keeping my hand on the left side of my face as I did so.

"Beats me," I said. "Though it was probably a bad move sending most of the few remaining members of our clan to scout. And now, I'm really starting to wish I'd gone with 'em like I told 16 I would last night."

"Why didn't you?"

"No reason. So, were you really pregnant with her at some point?"

"Yep," said 7. "But it wasn't easy, and neither was giving birth to her. But we managed it in the end, and 16 is healthy and I thank God for that."

"Nice. Oh, hey. Looks like they're back." 9 raised his head and looked towards the entrance. Sure enough, 5 was coming inside with 1 and 16 as well as two other women I don't remember him leaving with.

"Where have you guys been all day?" 9 asked, getting to his feet. "You left around midday and now it's dark."

"It's a long story," 5 replied. "But it can wait. This woman needs help." He held out his arms and showed us what was in them; a dark-skinned girl with closed eyes and a huge tear in her chest.

"What happened?" asked 7.

"She got attacked, but she's still alive. For now, at least. 2 hasn't come back yet, has he?" 9 shook his head.

"No, and neither have 4 or 6. But when 2 _does _come back"-here he looked directly at 1-"I expect a full sincere apology." 1 nodded in response and walked towards 9.

"Of course," he said. "Now 9, may I see the talisman please?"

9 suddenly looked nervous, but he said, "Sure. I always keep it close. Let me just get it out of my chest." He unzipped his front and held something out to 1 (I couldn't really see what it was with 7 in the way). 1 frowned.

"9, that's a paperclip and a piece of string," he said.

"No, it's not. This is the talisman."

"9!"

"How would you know what it looks like? You barely got a look at it before you died!" 1 was clearly coming close to losing it at this point. But then, a grey-skinned girl behind 5 poked her head round him and piped up.

"Died?" she squeaked. "Dad, what does he mean 'died'?"

"15?" said 9, looking over 1's shoulder at her. "It _is _you. I thought that voice sounded familiar. And did you just call 1 'Dad'?"

"Again, long story," said 5.

"Anyway, 9," 1 said. "It appears that you don't have the talisman on your person at this moment. Would it be in…your bedroom, maybe?"

"Maybe," said 9, holding his hands behind his back nervously.

"And if I recall correctly, there were objects strewn all over the floor in there while 16 was treating my injuries. Did you perhaps…misplace it?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe," 1 repeated. "Or maybe someone took it." He was smiling slyly now. "Perhaps the twins took it for a little joke. And maybe 4 forgot she had it and took it with her by accident."

"Maybe. But she probably would've brought it back by now if that was the case."

"You're absolutely right. 9, did 7 ever tell you about someone called 14?"

"I think so. Why do you ask?"

"Close yourself up and I'll tell you." 9 hurried to obey. "14 was 15's mother and she died about a month before the latter met you. And while 5, 16 and I were scouting, we happened to come across the spot where 15 had erected a grave for her mother. Or, at least, whatever was left of it. Someone had dug it up, and 14's eyes were dark but from the state of her mouth, the talisman had been at work. Would you know anything about that?"

"No."

"Right. There are two more things I want to mention. First, 16 and I were attacked by some sort of machine, as you know. And second, while we were scouting, we ran into three mysterious people, one of which had red eyes."

"OK." 9 was trying and failing not to be nervous at this point and 1's smile had disappeared.

"9, the talisman _was _stolen, wasn't it?" 9 sighed and sheepishly studied his feet for a few minutes. Then, he looked up.

"Yes. It was. And those three people you met took it," he said. And that was when it started.

"I knew it!" 1 yelled in a voice that was both angry and triumphant. "You know what this means, don't you, 9? It means that the Machine has been resurrected by those three people and they used 14's soul to do so. You didn't listen to me after I warned you!"

"Now, wait just a goddamn minute!" 7 chimed in. "9 was still half-asleep when those twerps grabbed the talisman! It wasn't his fault! He was caught completely off guard!"

"Stay out of this, 7!" 1 barked at her. "This doesn't concern you!"

"How dare you! Have you forgotten what happened the last time we had a full-blown argument like this?"

"How could I forget? You held your spear to my neck and threatened my life, for God's sake, woman!"

"Guys, c'mon." Aw, great. 9 was trying to play peacemaker. Like that's ever worked out for him before. "All this fighting isn't going to solve anything. We need to-"

"Shut up!" 1 shouted. "I'm not listening to anything you have to say, boy! Don't forget; it's your fault we're in this mess once again! And it was your fault that we were in this mess the first time as well! You're not fit to be leader!"

"Leave him alone, 1!" 7 screamed. "You weren't exactly fit to be leader the last time we were in this type of situation, either! And I'll have you know that 9 was torn apart by the results of said last time! His self-esteem is low enough as it is! He doesn't need you to lower it any further for him!" That did it.

"You know what?" I bellowed. "This is all just stupid! And 7, why are you even yelling at 1 for beating 9 down? I'd like to feel sorry for that husband of yours. I really would, but he just waved a red flag in front of a bull by trying to break up an argument between you and Old Troutface over there! What the hell did he think was gonna happen? That you'd both actually calm the fuck down and listen to him? God, it's really hard feel sympathy for you people when you keep asking for it!"

I didn't wait for a response. I got up and left them all standing there, mouths agape. Within the next three minutes, I was outside sitting on the rock under the sapling where I'd first spotted 101.

I hadn't meant to yell, but I couldn't take those guys anymore. They always seemed to decide to do the wrong thing and start fighting right after something bad happened. And then, another bad thing would happen and those people would deserve what they got when it did.

And I know I'm not exactly the smartest person in the clan, but I also know that the best solution in this kind of situation is for everyone to buck up and work together if we want to survive. Unfortunately, nobody ever wanted to hear what I had to say in a discussion of that context because they figured I was too stupid to be of any help.

I let out a sigh, felt with my hands and found the magnet on my back and held it on my knees as I stroked it.

I wondered. Did I really want to go down this road again and use the magnet as a band-aid solution because I couldn't deal with my problems directly on my own? Or did I actually want to quit messing around and get some closure with the rest of the clan? I actually didn't know which option to take.

"Rough day, huh, 8?" said a voice from above me. I whipped round to see 101 perched in the tree, her legs dangling over the edge of the twig she was sitting on.

"You don't know what rough is, sister," I replied. "And what makes you think I'm depressed?"

"Well, I do have this theory that whenever you take that magnet out, it means you're sad," she said. "That _is _the case, isn't it?"

"Not exactly."

"Then, what _is _the case?"

"It's kinda hard to explain. But you're right about one thing; I _am _a little depressed."

"What about?"

"Well, about the others. They just don't get me."

"What do you mean?"

"They just don't understand what it is that makes me tick. And since they clearly don't know who I am and how I work, I wish they'd stop pretending they do. It just always makes me so mad when I think about how they don't listen and they don't take me serious because of my so-called 'low intelligence'."

"Hey, don't worry about it," 101 said. She jumped down and sat on the rock next to me. "Trust me, I know how you feel. My brother and sister don't understand me either, and neither do most of my friends." Her expression turned sad. "Though recently, I've been wondering if I even deserve to have friends that _do _get me."

"Really?" I asked. "Why's that?" She looked at me.

"Well, one of those friends that actually get me…I hurt her. And instead of helping her, I just walked away. Because my sister told me to hurt her and I've always been a little afraid of my sister. I tried to talk to her and our brother about how I felt afterwards, but they wouldn't listen. And what's more, my friend didn't like to see me scared of what my sister might do to me if I didn't obey her. So, she actually asked me to hurt her, and I did. I know she literally asked for it, but I just don't think she deserves someone like me as a friend. I'm not even sure if she'll ever learn to forgive me. Or if I'll ever completely forgive myself."

"Oh. Well, it sounds like your sister isn't the sort of person that someone like you should be hangin' around," I said. She nodded slowly.

"I know that, but again, I'm scared of her. And she and my brother are the only family I've ever had, and probably ever will. It's partly because of the former that I don't want to leave them, but mainly because of the latter." She sighed. "I love them, and that's what makes it hard."

"Hey, I felt the same when I thought about leaving my clan this one time." She punched me hard on the shoulder.

"Get out of here!" she chuckled.

"No, really. I actually wanted to leave at some point because I was sick of being treated as less important than everyone else. But…I just couldn't bring myself to do it. In spite of everything I hate about these people, I've always sort of liked them. That and the Scientist created me to be their guardian. They needed me. I couldn't abandon them. I don't know if it was because I was too weak to do that or if I was strong enough not to."

"I don't think you stayed because you were weak," she said. "I think you stayed…because you were strong. And you still are." She stood up. "Thanks for the talk, but I really should be getting home and going to bed."

"OK. Maybe I should hit the sack, too." She nodded and started to walk away, stopping in front of the shadowy grass.

"Strength isn't always physical," she said before disappearing into it. "Never forget that, 8."

**101's POV**

I was a bit worried as I walked home. For starters, I had probably lost my mind if I was having conversations on that level with a guy whose clan I was spying on. And furthermore, I was constructing fantasies from when I entered the grass until I arrived at the back-up factory, all of which involved 8.

It's amazing what staring at a guy and then bemoaning about how no one takes either of you seriously with him can lead to, isn't it?


	13. Chapter 13

At the start of this chapter, we find out that 1 has been sitting up all night, sulking over 7 winning their dispute. He seriously needs to find a new "I-just-lost-an-argument" ritual.

**And yes, I used the last chapter to try and get some sympathy directed at 8, for once. So, sue me.**

**By the way, I've made some edits to my profile and they even include some new "9" OC bios. So, if you've read it before, you might wanna reread it. If you haven't read it before, you can read it anyway.**

**15 and 12's POVs in this chapter. And don't even think about being lazy and not reviewing. You should know what to do after you've finished reading each chapter by now.**

Chapter 13

**15's POV**

For a moment when I woke up, I didn't know where I was. Then, my eyes got used to the dark and it hit me. I was in the library where my father lived, and I'd spent the night in one of many pigeonholes in a huge globe.

This globe was where a couple of kids who were fraternal twins slept and read and studied books. Some referred to the globe as the twins' study, others the twins' bedroom. I personally thought of it as a combination of both.

There aren't really any good places to call bedrooms in the library. The leader, 9, and his wife, 7, slept in a cupboard behind what was once the librarian's desk. Their daughter, 16, slept in the cavity left behind by the seat that had been removed from a piano stool.

Most of the rest resorted to sleeping in one of the globe's pigeonholes, like those twins. The few that didn't simply slept on shelves, like that fat geezer whose name was apparently 8.

I'd decided to sleep in a pigeonhole, since the hole in the top of globe let in light from outside the globe and that sort of reminded me of that big window I slept under in the railway carriage. But, I still like my privacy so, I used two drawing pins and a piece of cloth to make a sort of door for my "room".

Anyway, what got me puzzled a few seconds after I woke up was the fact that I was lying on the floor with the soles of my feet pressed up against my book mattress. The folded tissue I used as a pillow and my blanket were on the floor with me, for another thing.

Then, just as I remembered why I was in this position, the cloth door fluttered and I quickly pulled my scarf up under my eyes.

"15?" Dad said as he poked his head into the room. He raised an eyebrow when he saw me. "Did you fall off the bed?"

"Uh…no," I replied, sitting up. "It's just…I've been sleeping on the ground under a railway carriage for so long that I'm finding it a bit difficult to get used to comfort."

"Oh. Well…you're up early, anyway."

"Yeah. Force of habit, I guess. Even after Mom died, I was never one for sleeping in. Are you all right? You look beat."

"Erm…I suppose so. You can more or less say that I was up all night."

"Don't tell me. Were you sitting around moping that whole time?"

"Possibly."

"What? Just because you lost an argument with Ms. Fancypants' mother? Oh, get over it." My scarf slipped a little and I scrambled to fix it.

"Why do you wear that thing, 15?" Dad asked. I tightened the knot in the scarf behind my neck before answering.

"I'd rather not talk about it," I said. "It's a 'keep-it-covered' thing. You wouldn't understand."

"Oh, all right. Well, anyway, I was in the area and I was wondering how you slept last night."

"Uh…fine, I guess. I slept just fine."

"Good, good. I suppose I'll just…all right, I'm leaving now."

"Right. See ya round." Dad nodded and then, he was gone a second later. I got up and rearranged my pillow and blanket on top of the book. Then, I lay on top of it and slipped a hand up under the scarf, rubbing the bumpy skin on the left side of my mouth with my fingertips.

"You'll never see what's under here, Dad," I said as I withdrew my hand. "It's enough that I have to be burdened with how it got there. I'll see to it that you don't have to."

**12's POV**

My eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar room. It was probably a cupboard, but I didn't really know or care at this minute. All I knew or cared about at this moment was the pain.

My chest hurt and my side hurt and my…everything hurt.

My back especially was aching like billio, and there was something lodged underneath me, so I guessed that my wings were still out. And as for my chest…well, it was hurting partly because of my condition but mainly because of the wounds 101 had inflicted.

Then, it hit me. I was in the library where 4's clan lived, and I'd been brought here after 101 had run off. Judging from the needles and scissors hanging on the wall and the spools of thread scattered around, I was in some sort of infirmary.

There were three dolls' house beds in the room, and I was lying in one of them. And I must say that lying on wood hadn't really helped my back at all.

Anyways, I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed before pushing myself to my feet. That was stupid.

I gave a cry as I pitched forward and banged my chin on the floor. I heard voices and then footsteps. I tried to fold my wings because they were really getting on my nerves at this stage, but they just juddered a few times and didn't move. I looked up as the one-eyed boy from yesterday walked in.

"What're you doing out of bed?" he asked. I blinked in response.

"I woke up," I told him, "and I can't even stand."

"That's because that kid severed the wires at the top-left of your thigh," One-eyed Jack said. "And that means that while you still have feeling in your left leg, you can't stand on it." I chuckled half-heartedly.

"Well, that explains my little prat fall a minute ago."

"Yes, it does. Now, hold still. I'm going to lift you back into the bed and it'll just hurt more if you move too much."

He walked over, bent down and carefully rolled me onto my back. I winced slightly as my wings dug into me once again. One-eye slid one hand under my knees, the other under my arms and hoisted me off the floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he took three steps and slowly let me down.

"Better?" he asked as he covered me with the blanket. I nodded.

"Much." He nodded back.

"Sorry I can't do anything about your wings." I shrugged.

"No worries. Now, I don't want you to candy-coat this for me, doc. Just tell me what the damage is."

"My name is 5, first of all," he said. "Second, there was a vertical tear from the top of the side of your thigh to your hip. And a diagonal one from your hip to the front base of your right shoulder. I fixed those up, but I'm gonna have to cut your leg open again at some point to mend those wires. And again, your wings are stuck like that. For now, at least. Do you know where your blueprints are kept? It'd be helpful if I knew the layout of your circuitry a little better when I perform the operation."

"Oh. Uh…I don't…have blueprints," I stammered. 5 frowned.

"Oh. Well, that complicates things a little bit, then. I might end up having to cut your leg apart to do the surgery properly." The look on my face must've been something to see judging by his follow-up. "But don't worry. I won't do it unless you're unconscious. You won't feel a thing."

"You still shouldn't have said that out loud," I told him. "But, don't worry. Even if I was awake, I wouldn't say that it was the worst pain I've ever experienced. Trust me, I've been through worse."

"Oh. Well, OK," 5 said. "You're…12, right?"

"Yep. Did you remember that from what 65 said?"

"Yeah, but…why did she call you a traitor?" I shuddered and sheepishly studied my blanket.

"I'd rather not answer that question, 5."

"Hey, that's fine. You don't have to answer it if that makes you uncomfortable."

"Thanks."

"Now, again, the operation on your leg is going to be tricky, with or without blueprints. If 2 were here, he'd do a better job than me." I froze.

"2?"

"Yeah, 2. Why did you say it like that? Have you seen him?"

"Uh…no. No, I haven't."

"OK. Well, have you seen anyone by the name of either 4 or 6?" Then, he grunted quietly and face-palmed himself. "Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? I shouldn't be playing 20 Questions with you right now. You're injured. Sorry, 12."

"No worries." 5 nodded and headed for the door. He stopped just before he closed it.

"You just…get some rest," he said. "I'll come back and check up on you in a little while." I smiled and he left.

_Well, he's kinda shy and a little nosy, but he seems nice_, I thought. _And it looks like I was right. This _is _the library where 4 and her crowd live. I wonder if the guys back at An Áit de Saoirse will come looking for me here when I don't come back._

I pushed that last thought out of my mind as I slipped back into a dreamless, light sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Sorry if this story feels rushed. And I just wanna let you know that we get a glimpse of another new machine in this chapter; the Boa.

**Like I told you in the last chapter, I made some changes to my profile and I will do so again later on in the story.**

**15, 1 and 5's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 14

**15's POV**

Several uneventful weeks passed. 5 operated on 12's leg and she soon managed to walk again. Though the same thing couldn't be said for her wings.

12 seemed nice enough to me, though she didn't really seem to willing to answer our questions. This seemed to be one of the things about her that really got on Dad's nerves. Other than her "over-the-top optimism" anyway.

The weird thing is that 12 was worried about herself getting too stressed. And when she got stressed, she'd just hobble into the pool and lie there until 5 pulled her out and told her to dry off because it was time to get back into bed.

Me? I didn't really give a toss about any of this. I was just bored by the fact that there were no beast attacks. Or even beast sightings. So, at the beginning of the fourth week, I decided to go out and find one whether or not Dad and 9 said yes.

And by that, I mean I was going to sneak out and not tell anyone where I was going.

Yes, I know. Not the best idea, but I just didn't want Dad to start worrying while I was gone and do something stupid like follow me. After all, he'd never even touched a weapon never mind learned how to use one.

Anyway, I kept walking until the wrought iron gates of the library had disappeared. That was when I started running.

It had been a long time since I'd been running this fast. Even before I came with 5 and the rest to the library. I guess Mom dying had really put a damper on my exercise routine.

It wasn't long before I caught sight of a beast. Either it pissed itself at the sight of me and ran off or it wanted to lead me into a trap. I didn't know. I followed it anyway. I was a fool for putting myself in danger.

I cornered the beast after a little while and it turned around. It had six red eyes clustered at the front of its pointed face and two pairs of arms about five centimetres down from its head. The rest of it was long like a snake, and judging from the look in its eyes, it _was _a trap.

That was when I realised that I'd left my screwdriver back at the library.

**1's POV**

"That's a nice little necklace ya got there, 12," said 8. 12 chuckled nervously in response.

"Thanks," she said. "16 made it for me. I told her I was gonna leave soon after my wings start working again and she said she wanted me to have something to take with me. Or something."

The necklace in question was made up of a small piece of magenta ribbon with a clear red bead strung on it. To be honest, it _was _quite nice but I didn't have the foggiest idea why 16 saw the need to make something like that for someone as annoying as 12.

And yes, I was in the broom closet that served as the infirmary with 12 at this moment, but I had a good reason for it. And that reason was we couldn't find 15 anywhere and 5 had gone to check outside the library and if she was hurt, I knew he'd bring her in here right away.

But it looked like I didn't need 5 to do that because soon after 12 started fingering her necklace, 15 came running in and she looked out of breath.

"God, 15," said 5, tumbling in seconds later. "Next time you decide to go on a little trip like that, tell us where you're going and if you come back looking like you've seen a ghost, tell us what's wrong. What did you ignore me for when I asked you that outside?"

15 continued to puff and pant while her eyes flicked from left to right, looking for me or him and seeing nothing. Her face changed then and she went very, very pale.

"15?" I asked. She stopped panting and fell backwards as her eyes wheeled back into her head. "15!"

"Get the scarf off!" 12 hissed. "She can't breathe!" I nodded in her direction briefly and knelt next to 5 as we both grabbed the scarf and started pulling at it.

"Wait, wait, wait!" 5 said, grabbing my wrist. "15's always tightening a knot in the scarf behind her head. You undo that and I'll get the scarf away from her face." I nodded and twisted my daughter's head to one side, picking at the thick knot once I'd done so.

"Good," 5 said when I was finished. "Now I'll just take this off and-Aaaah!"

"5, what _are _you screaming abou-Oh, my God!" It was too late not to see what 5 had been screaming about. And it was too late to look away. My eyes were locked on it.

On the left side of 15's mouth, there was a scar made up of a line of stitches running from her chin to just above her upper lip. The skin around the scar was bumpy and uneven, like 15 had scrunched up a handful of it before sewing the cut that had once been there. And the stitches had caught the left side of her top lip, dragging it upwards slightly.

"Good God," 5 whispered. "Did she try flossing with a weed whacker?" I glanced at him and then looked at the scar again.

"Probably not," I said. "Though I can see why she'd want to wear a scarf to cover it up."

"Mmm?" 15 moaned softly and blinked. Our faces must have been something to see because her hand automatically moved towards her face. She touched her scar briefly and then she flipped herself onto her stomach, pushed herself up and sprinted out of the closet.

"15, wait!" 5 called after her.

"No! Go away!" she shouted back without looking over her shoulder. She disappeared round the corner just as 5 and I stood up.

**~Soulbound~**

A little while later, 16 came into the infirmary and stopped in front of the chair where I was sitting.

"OK, four things," she said. "First, Mom's still waiting for you to apologise to Dad. Second, that psychotic sociopathic freak you call a daughter just went bat shit insane, broke my mirror and cut her hair off with a piece of it. Third, she won't get out from under my bed. And fourth, she jabbed me between the eyes and lip with her screwdriver when I tried to stop her."

"All right," I said after a pause. "I'll go and talk to her." I got up and left 16 standing there. Within the next few minutes, I was at the top of the book staircase she used for getting into her room. I got down as low as I could once I was beside the bed and lifted the blanket.

"15?" I said. She raised her head briefly and then whimpered, her eyes making a clinking noise as they hit the wood again. "All right, come out of there."

"No," she moaned. I reached under the bed with my free hand and squeezed her shoulder.

"15, listen to me," I said. "I just want you to come with me for a minute. We'll go to your room and talk there, all right?" She sniffed and looked up.

"OK," she said. Her voice sounded hoarse and I wondered if she'd been crying as I moved away from the bed to let her come out. She was wearing her scarf again but her face wasn't covered.

I let her go on ahead and when she stepped in front of me, I realised what 16 had meant when she'd said that 15 had cut her hair off. 15's ponytail was gone and her hair now only reached as far as the top of her neck, the ends jagged where she'd sliced through it with the mirror shard.

"Go in," she said when we reached her room, pulling back a corner of the cloth door. I nodded and slipped inside. I'd just sat down on the bed when she came in after me.

"OK, Dad," she started. "First of all, I wanna say…I lied. About how Mom died, I mean. I _did _reluctantly agree to go to bed when she asked me to, and I _did _try CPR to no effect on a dead body, but it didn't start the way I said it did."

"What do you mean?" She closed her eyes and touched her scar briefly before answering.

"I'm sorry that you, of all people, have to hear this, Dad," she said slowly. "But you deserve to know what really happened to Mom. So, I have to tell you, even though it's likely to upset you. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good." She took a deep breath. "First off, I didn't get attacked by the Beast while I was out for a walk. I got attacked by the Beast when I stormed out after an argument with Mom. I was sick of the way she always tried to change the subject when I brought you up. Eventually, she caved in and told me the whole story. I'm pretty sure you know the drill with that."

"Yes," I gulped, shuddering at the memory of metal banging against metal.

"Right," said 15. "Anyway, she told me about why she left and I was amazed she hadn't gone back when she got pregnant just because of a stupid argument. I asked why she didn't want to go back and she got all snappy and said that it was because she didn't want to raise a child in a place like that."

"She said that?"

"Aye, she did. Naturally, I didn't take it very well and I ran out of the railway car. It wasn't very smart. And why? Because I'd been running at top speed for barely a minute when the Beast came out of nowhere and knocked me down. That was when everything just blurred together and I couldn't really make sense of anything anymore. I was on the ground and my mouth was hurting and Mom was fighting with the Beast and-"

"Slow down, 15!" I said. "Right now, I can't make sense of anything you're saying!"

"Sorry. Well, anyways, the Beast knocked me down and cut my mouth but luckily, Mom showed up and started fighting it before it could turn me into cat food. I thought she was gonna win for the first few minutes, but once it had her pinned down, it became clear that the odds were not in her favour."

"Didn't she have a weapon?"

"Yeah, but it knocked it out of her hand and held her down when she tried to get to it. And since I ran out of the car in such a fluster, I forgot to grab my screwdriver first. I got an idea though, and scraped a coin against a rock. I slipped away while the Beast was distracted, grabbed Mom and hid behind some rubble with her. Eventually, though reluctantly, the Beast seemed to accept that its prey had eluded it and gave up the search. I ran as fast as I could back to the car, with Mom in my arms the whole time." She glanced at me briefly. "Are you OK?"

"Never better," I said, smiling slightly. "I just got a mental picture, that's all."

"Was that supposed to be sarcasm?" 15 asked.

"Did it sound like sarcasm to you?"

"Yes."

"Then, maybe it was. Now, go on."

"OK," she said. "You should probably guess what happened after we got back to the railway car. I tried and failed to heal Mom, and this whole time the pain at the bottom of my face was a huge distraction. Finally, I gave up but I still wouldn't heal myself." She took a short breath. "And…"

"What?" I asked. 15 exhaled and looked me right in the face.

"Mom…she-she told how she was feeling at that precise moment…a-after I asked her," she stammered, at last. "She said to me, 'What I'm feeling right now…is realisation. Of how much I still love your father after all this time.' And then, she told me that if she had the chance to have just one wish granted, she'd use it right away if it meant that you'd be there with us."

"She…said that? About…about me?" 15 nodded slowly.

"Mom said that I'd been right. It _was _stupid to dump someone and take off after one argument. And that thanks to me, she'd finally figured that out. She said that maybe I'd meet you someday, and I asked her what your name was. She told me to take her name away from my name, and tell her what I got. I got one and she said, 'Well, then, that's your father's name.' I asked for even a little bit of physical description, but she said that I'd know who you were when I found you. That was when she told me to go to bed and, well, you know the rest."

I inhaled and then exhaled slowly. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. All this time, I'd thought that 14 had been wandering the Emptiness, hating me. But it turned out that I'd been wrong.

Then again, I don't see how that could've surprised me. What had I ever _not _been wrong about?

"After I buried Mom, I finally mended the hole in my face." I looked up when 15 spoke again. "Again, I won't ever make the best seamstress. As you can clearly see." She tried and failed to scoff as she tapped her scar. "I did a bit of wandering after that, and I found that old knitting needle Mom used for fighting. I brought it back to the railway car and after I left with my screwdriver and blanket, I didn't go back there for over a month."

"That must have been…awful for you when you found your mother's needle," I said. She nodded.

"It was, and I didn't want to be reminded of her death every time I looked at myself. So, I wore a scarf to conceal my scar. Just about a month after she died, the Beast ran past my hiding place. It had an old guy with a metal cap on his head hanging out of his mouth. I didn't want to see that pathetic excuse for a feline kill someone else's loved one, so I started to follow them. That was when I bumped into some kid with a torn shoulder."

"2 and 9," I said softly.

"Yeah, them. 9 said that he'd just met 2 and it was technically his fault the poor guy had been captured since 2 had been protecting him. I decided to go with him, but it wasn't long before 9 collapsed. Whether it was from exhaustion, the pain or both, I don't know. I didn't know what to do, and I was on the verge of having a panic attack when 5 showed up. I helped him carry 9 into the cathedral, and he said he'd take care of everything. I said thank you and ran outside. I'd decided then and there that I would find you and let you know what had happened to Mom if it killed me."

"Oh."

"I did quite a bit of wandering over the next two days, too. After I left the cathedral, I went back to the car and got some supplies. You see, I had this theory that maybe you'd left the cathedral and I wanted to check everywhere in the city. Just to make sure, you know? By the dawn of the second day, I'd checked everywhere in the northern outskirts of the city and I was exhausted. All those explosions I'd heard behind me in the south really had me worried, though." She sighed. "And that's the whole story." She came and sat down next to me.

"But if you wanted to find me so I'd know 14 was dead, why did you lie to me about it?" I asked. 15 covered her face with her hands.

"Because…because I was worried that if I told you the true story, you'd hate me," she said. "I mean, if she hadn't been trying to protect me and if I hadn't been stupid and run outside with no weapons, she'd still be alive. _I _killed her." She broke off, raising her head so she could shake it.

"15," I said, gently but firmly, "it is _not _your fault. Your mother was doing her job as a parent. She was protecting her child, and she was willing to give her life if it meant she could do that." I sighed before continuing.

"And that's more than I ever did for her or anybody else. I'm the reason 2 was out there in the first place. I was tired of his stupid questions, so I sent him out, hoping that the Beast would take care of him once and for all. And when a machine took 7 and 8, I was ready and willing to leave them to die and save myself."

I looked at 15. Her mouth had dropped open.

"But-But I-" she tried to say. I held up a hand to stop her talking.

"Please, let me finish." I sighed again. "When your mother left, everyone in the cathedral was heartbroken. The heart that never healed was mine, and I took a turn for the worse. My temper got out of control, and I started berating the others and punishing them for almost no reason at all. 3 and 4 were frightened of me. 5 and 6 were frightened of me. And then, finally, 7 upped and left and took the twins with her." I sighed a final time and continued.

"After 5 told me that they'd left and I had everyone leave the room, I climbed up to the inside of the clock and looked through it. The world looked the same, and yet it felt different somehow. At that moment, I would've done anything to have your mother back."

"Whoa," 15 said slowly. We looked at each other again.

"There's another reason I didn't tell you the truth. After Mom died, I started thinking that the effects it had on my mind were worse than the slight physical damage caused by the Beast. I came close to being somewhat crazy and that's why I have mood swings all the time. Also, if I told you the truth, I'd have to show the scar. This is the first time I've talked so much in ages." She touched it gently then.

"This scar…it hurts because the skin around it is scrunched and because it's so close to my mouth. It makes talking difficult and smiling near impossible. I figured that if you didn't hate me because of what happened to Mom, you'd be scared off by both the near insanity and the scar."

She sniffed, glanced at her feet and then glared at me.

"What?" I said. She shook her head defiantly.

"If you wanna say something, then go ahead and say it," she snapped. "Say whatever you want. Do whatever you want. Boil me, roast me, I don't care." She glared at her feet and I put a hand on her shoulder.

When 15 looked up, she looked surprised. I was undeterred by her expression and pulled her closer to me until her head accidentally lolled against my shoulder. I was afraid she'd push me away at this point, but she didn't resist at all.

In fact, she seemed to get what I was doing and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, swinging her legs round until they were on top of mine. She pressed her face into the front side of my right shoulder and didn't move from that position at all.

I held her there like that for what seemed like forever before a voice from the doorway interrupted us.

"Busted!" I opened my eyes and 15 looked up. The heads of 3 and 16 were poking through the cloth doorway, 3's hands over his mouth as he stifled silent giggles. 16 chuckled before speaking again.

"Look, big brother," she laughed. "1's a big old softie." I glared at them both.

"Is that a problem?" I demanded. 16's smile disappeared and both of them looked very scared all of a sudden.

"Nope," 16 assured me. "No problem at all." As quickly as they had appeared, their heads slipped back the way they'd come through the doorway.

15 and I exchanged glances briefly before we both burst into peals of laughter.

**5's POV**

_It's not true_, I cried silently to myself. _It can't be true._

But there was no word of protest from the speaker. That could only mean one thing; 12 was telling the truth.

So, from what she'd just told me, this is what I could gather;

~The Machine had created 12, 65, 84 and five others.

~12 and these five others had set up a rebel force to stop the Machine at any cost.

~One of these five was called 101 and usually served as a surveillance camera for 11, the rebel leader.

~101 just so happened to be the one who'd wounded 12 at 12's request.

~1 had been right and 65 and 84 had used 14's soul to reactivate the Machine.

~And finally, 12 had taken a shine to me which had quickly developed into a crush and then eventually developed into a love.

Surprisingly, the last point was the one I found hardest to believe. Partly because I wasn't leader and 14 and 7 had gone for 1 and 9, who had both been leader at one time or another. But mainly because I just so happened to have done the same thing over the past four weeks.

"5," 12 said, "I came to tell you all this at this time for a reason. You know how I went for a swim before I came back in to talk to you? Well, before I got in, I decided to test my wings again. And…they worked. That's why I came back in so fast. I just wanted to tell you all this before I leave."

"You're leaving?" I breathed. "Now? This minute?" She nodded hesitantly.

"Can you do me one small favour first?" she asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Anything." She hesitated again and then smiled shyly.

"I'd like to remember that I kissed a cute guy tonight," she said finally. I chuckled lightly.

"OK." She leaned forward and gave me a small peck on the lips.

"Have you ever kissed a lass before?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "And I'm afraid that was not very satisfactory." She laughed and I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close. She took my face in her hands and stretched up (I was just a little taller than her).

"Let's give it another go then, shall we?" 12 suggested.

This time, our kiss was warm and tender.


	15. Chapter 15

I know that the "argument" section of 15's backstory is kinda vague, so I'll give you the details here;

**1 had 8 beat up 6 for…well, being 6 and 14 tried to stop them. 6 and 8 left the room and 1 and 14 started up an argument, which ended with 1 hitting her with his staff. 1 immediately rushed to check on 14, but she pushed him away and later angrily rebuffed him when he tried to apologise, throwing the gear he'd given her as an engagement ring at him.**

**The next morning, 1 woke up to find that someone had stolen his blanket. He tried once again to talk to 14, but for some reason, she wouldn't respond or even open the door. 8 pried it open with his knife but the room was empty and 1 found a note from 14, implying that she'd run away.**

**Anyway, at the beginning of 12's narrated segment, she thinks 4 is sick. This isn't entirely true, but we soon discover that 4 has been afflicted with the most horrible disease imaginable; PREGNANCY!**

**16, 5 and 12's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 15

**16's POV**

After 1 scared us off, 3 shot me a glare and went back to his book. He was probably blaming me for what had just happened with 1 since I was the one who'd put him up to it.

When 3 started reading again, I decided to go ask 5 if he wanted to practice sparring with me. I picked up my machete from my room and went to the infirmary, opening the closet door a little. I gasped.

5 had his arms around 12, his hands in her beautiful hair. His head was bent down. Hers was tilted upwards. They were kissing.

Then, 5 pulled away a little.

"Your necklace is digging into my chest," he said.

"Oh," 12 replied. She took hold of the bead and swivelled it round so that it perched on her shoulder. "Poor 16."

"Yeah," 5 drawled. "16 and her flipping clothes. Totally useless _and _pointless waste of good fabric, if you ask me. And worse than that, she doesn't seem to realise that she's the only one who would ever wear such things." 12 immediately fell about and 5 joined in.

I couldn't bear it. With a yell, I rushed in, yanked the necklace over her head and threw it into the corner. The bead shattered when it hit the wall as the ribbon fluttered to the ground.

"Oh, 16," cried 12. "We were just-"

"Shut up!" I screamed. "You don't have to tell me anything, Birdbrain! I heard what you said!" I stormed out of the closet and headed straight for my own room. I clambered up the steps at warp crawling speed and dived for my bed.

I heard them behind me the whole time. But they didn't get into my room until I'd got out my scissors, opened the wardrobe and been ready to make the first cut.

"What are you doing?" 12 shrieked. I glared in her direction briefly.

"Don't worry!" I assured her angrily. "I know it's daft! Someone my age doing something as childish as making clothes! Stupid, stupid wastes of fabric!"

I turned back to the wardrobe and quickly snipped at the sleeve of my red blouse. The sleeve fell onto the floor in an instant, and that was when a sort of frenzy began.

The scissor blades sliced through the fabric and thread like magic. Every five seconds, another garment was snatched out of the wardrobe. Every five seconds, said garment had been cut to pieces and thrown aside. And so it went on like that until I was surrounded by tatters.

And all the while, 12 was crying and screaming in the corner, begging me to stop. 5 was trying to stop me too and kept trying to pull the scissors out of my hands, becoming enraged because I was pushing him away.

Once the last article of my clothing had been destroyed, I made a dash for the book staircase, still clutching the scissors to my chest like a talisman. 12's screams had attracted a small crowd and my mother was among them, but I didn't care. I raced past them and flew down the steps two at a time.

"What are you playing at, 16?" Mom called after me. I didn't look over my shoulder at her as I shouted back.

"I've stopped playing!" I didn't stop. I kept running with the scissors in my hands (make your own jokes) in the direction of the entrance, my skinny legs pumping like pistons.

I didn't even stop at the entrance. I cleared the front steps in a single huge leap and landed hard on my feet. It hurt, but I started running again once I'd landed.

I raced at full speed across the courtyard, through the gates and out into the street and away.

I had escaped.

**5's POV**

12 clutched the two largest shards of her necklace bead to her chest. Her head was bent, her eyes were closed and her knees were pulled up under chin. And I can't say I blamed her.

"I'm sorry, guys," I said to 16's parents. I sheepishly studied my feet, unable to look either of them in the eye. "How much trouble am I in?"

"Heaps!" 7 growled. "Now, 9 and I are going to have a quick look in the courtyard for her. If she's not there and doesn't come back on her own before dawn, we'll split up everybody here into groups to look around the Emptiness. Except for you and 12. If and when we go tomorrow, you two will be staying here."

"But," 9 interjected, "if we find her tonight or tomorrow morning, she's gonna be miffed."

"Better than her being dead," 1 muttered.

"For once, I agree with the silly old bird over there," said 7. "Right, 9. Let's go." She turned to 8. "If we don't find her, can you stand lookout during the night in case she comes back?"

"Yes, ma'am!" he replied without a moment's hesitation. 7 nodded at him and left with 9. 8 lumbered out after them, but the other three lingered a little while longer.

The infirmary door was wide open, and 15 was anxiously pacing between each side of the doorway. You could tell when she was looking for 3 (who was being comforted by 1 over the loss of both of his sisters) and when she was looking for me, because she kept alternating between concerned glances and murderous glances.

Eventually, they all shuffled out and I looked at 12. She was still in the same position she'd been in when I'd apologised to 7 and 9.

"I should never have come," she said. I shook my head.

"This is just as much my fault as it is yours, 12," I told her. "Look, I'm going to bed. Will you be fine in here on your own?" 12 nodded reluctantly. "OK, good. Have a good night, 12."

As I left, I managed to catch the last thing she muttered.

"Everything was fine until I showed up."

**~Soulbound~**

When I went back to the infirmary the next morning, I passed by 15 and put out an arm to stop her.

"Has 16 come back yet?" I asked hopefully. 15 glared in response and I could easily guess the answer before she gave it.

"No," she snapped. "But if we're lucky, she saw that little winged vermin leave last night."

"What?"

"12. She left last night, and I'm hoping that 16 will come back because I have this theory that she doesn't wanna come back if 12's here. Either way, good riddance."

Without waiting to see what I would do, 15 slipped round my still-outstretched arm and continued on her way.

I was both worried and unconvinced. I was worried because if 12 was gone, she might've left and done something stupid. And I was unconvinced because a small part of me thought that 15 was making that up just to spite me.

But I had to be sure. I pulled open the infirmary door and dived inside.

It looked just as I had when I'd first put it together in the closet. The three beds had blankets and folded pieces of cloth to be used as pillows on top of them. A few needles and pairs of scissors hung from nails sticking out of the walls. An assortment of coloured threads stood neatly in one corner and a window far above my head let in some light from the outside world.

The bead shards and magenta ribbon were nowhere to be seen, and the bed in the centre of the trio was made-up to the point of looking like it had never been slept in.

12 was gone.

**12's POV**

I was too crushed to fly home. I didn't even wanna unfold my wings to fly over the canyon. So I went the long way and walked around it. When the house came into view, I was actually surprised how relieved I was to see it.

"12!" 36 cried out as I approached the entrance. She rushed up and threw her arms around me. I slowly let my arms wrap themselves around her in return.

"36, it's so good to see you again," I said softly.

"Where have you been all this time, you naughty little thing?" 36 said, half-sobbing and half-laughing. "We've been so worried about you. And 4 shouldn't be getting herself into such a state at a time like this." I leaned away from her embrace.

"Why? Is she sick?" I asked. 36 smiled a little.

"Don't be silly," she said. "We're not organic. We don't get sick. Though you _did _miss quite a few things while you were away and one of them was 4 and 6's wedding."

"They're married now?" I gasped. 36 nodded vigorously.

"That's not all. Come on." She grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside. We didn't stop at all until we'd reached 4's room. And she didn't even knock first before we went in. She must've really wanted me to see whatever it was.

"12!" chorused two male voices. My face lit up when 2 and 6 came towards me. 4's face lit up too, but she didn't come to me or even get out from under the nest of blankets surrounding her.

"It's so good to see you all again," I said as I shook 2's hand and high-fived 6. "I've got so much to tell you, and I want to hear about everything you've been doing. 6, I hear you and 4 are married now."

"We are," he confirmed. "Come over here, 12." I followed him and stopped beside the bed. He took hold of 4's outstretched hand and pushed it in my direction so I could see the pearl earring she was using as a wedding ring.

"Oh, 4," I said. "It's beautiful." I beamed at her. "So, you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?" She nodded and flickered something to 6.

"12, can you move back so I can help her up?" he asked. I nodded and backed up a little. 2 and 36 stood beside the door, smiling the whole time.

4 swung her legs over the side of the bed and 6 took hold of her other hand and pulled her onto her feet. She then unwrapped a blanket from around her shoulders and set it down on the bed.

My eyes widened. 4 had leg go of one of 6's hands so she could take off the blanket, and now her free hand was resting on her stomach. But the thing was, her stomach looked bigger than it had the last time I'd seen her.

No. I'd only seen her four weeks ago. She couldn't have married _and _gotten pregnant in that time, could she?

"We're having a girl," 6 said, noticing my expression. "And we're naming her 10." I nodded.

"Uh-huh," I said. "Now, guys, listen. I'm not trying to upset you or anything. I just want to make sure that you're positive that you want to go through with this. 4's kinda young and it's not exactly the right time for raising a child." 4 came up to me at this point.

_12, we know you mean well_, she flickered. _But I'm older than 6 and I've put more thought into all of this than you think. The decision on whether or not to keep the child is mine to make. Nobody else's. And I don't care what even the others at the library say when they find out. I'm keeping her and that's final._

"Well, all right," I said. "It's good to see you're not rushing into this. I'll just be around if you need me. I haven't seen my room in four weeks and I wanna make sure nobody's been messing with my stuff."

_OK, 12. I'll see you later._ I patted 4's head and said congratulations to 6 before I left. When I got out into the hall, I found 11 and 101 waiting for me. I knew what they wanted to hear, but I decided to tell them the two things they needed to know the most first.

"The leader's daughter ran off," I said to 101. "And I think I've fallen in love with the guy with the eye patch."


	16. Chapter 16

Well, you guys, looks like we're smack-dab in the middle of the story now. Who knows how much longer we have to trudge through it before we get to the end?

When 8 asks 101 if she's stalking him, I almost made her say "Yes, and I think I love you, as well!" but I dodged THAT bullet quickly enough.

Also, I actually think I did a pretty good job on the incredibly awkward "flirting" between those two.

And remember the Boa from the Chapter 14? Well, when 16 arrived at 101's hidey-hole, he attacked and managed to wound her before she killed him. And yes, it IS pretty lame that I killed him off right after I introduced him.

**8, 101 and 16's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 16

**8's POV**

I stepped into the clearing. The river flowed fastest here, and I knew that if 16 had fallen in the water, it would be a good idea to check around this place first. And-

"BOO!"

I gave a yell and lost my footing. 101 jumped out of the tree she'd been hanging upside-down from and started laughing. She was wearing 7's helmet and that probably would've gotten her a few accusations from me if 7 had ever picked it up after it fell off when the Machine blew up that tunnel.

I got up and grabbed hold of one of her arms.

"_Don't _do that," I growled at her. She chuckled and pushed the helmet up so I could see her face.

"Scared ya, didn't I?" she sneered. I let go of her arm and folded my own arms.

"No," I barked. She sniggered.

"See, that's what proves I scared you. Denial, I mean. It ain't just a river in Egypt, you know."

"That…makes no sense."

"It's a play on words. A joke. It doesn't have to make sense. Either way, I still scared you."

"That's 7's helmet."

"Don't change the subject, please."

"I'm not," I said. "I'm just pointing out that that's someone else's hat you're wearing." 101 shrugged.

"All right. You win. Here!" She took it off and shoved it into my hands. "Just make sure whoever owns it gets it back because you seem to know who they are."

"Thanks, I guess," I said, undoing my top buckle and pushing the helmet inside. 101 stared and her expression looked critical. "What?"

"I don't know if putting it in your chest is a good thing," she said. "What if you end up knocking it into something important?"

"Hmm," I said as I fastened the buckle again. "Why are you even here? Are you stalking me or something?" She laughed.

"This is the first time I've seen you in weeks and you're asking if _I'm _stalking you?" she said in mock disbelief. "You fool! Those annoying little lumps of metal and paste with the big red eyes! _They're _the stalkers!" I laughed too, then.

"Well, you got me there," I said. "But seriously, why are you here?" She shrugged.

"Well, to be honest, I'm feeling kinda depressed. And for some reason, I just like to be near the river when I'm not feeling good."

"Do you like to swim in it or something?" I asked. 101 shook her head.

"Neh," she replied. "I can't swim. In fact, I've yet to meet one of our kind besides my brother who _isn't_ a notorious sinker."

"I know whatcha mean," I said. "This one time, I fell through some thin ice. They fished me out afterwards but…"

"But what?" I looked at her.

"Promise you won't laugh?" I asked. She nodded. "OK." I glanced over at the river and when she followed my gaze, she seemed to get what I mean.

"Oh!" she said. "You're hydrophobic."

"Hydro-what?"

"Hydrophobic. It means you're afraid of the water." I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that's it." Then, I remembered something. "So, how are things with you and your brother and sister?"

"Oh, yeah. They're fine," 101 said. "Just about as bored as I am, but fine."

"Are they depressed too?"

"Neh. My sister doesn't get depressed, and she cools off pretty quickly when she's mad, too. My brother does but he just stays in bed and sleeps until he's not depressed anymore. And then, my sister and I don't really get any sleep because he's up for sometimes days on end 'cause of all the snoozing he's been doing."

"Oh."

"Ugh! Look, what am I doing? I'm babbling!" she laughed. "I mean, enough about me! I wanna hear about you, 8. Like, what do _you _do in your spare time?"

"Hmm…well, nothing much, really," I said, folding my arms again. "I've never been a fan of reading and I don't even like scouting that much. In fact, I'm only out today because I have to. If I didn't have to, I'd probably be in bed."

"Why's that?"

"9's kid flew the coop and I was up all night on lookout duty," I replied. "Then again, I've gone without sleep much longer than that before."

"You still haven't finished answering my first question."

"Oh, right. Like I was saying, I don't really do anything in my spare time. Guess you could say I'm bored unless I have something to fight with."

"You sound like my sister," 101 said. "She's always bored unless she has the perfect opportunity to go out and kill something or whatever. I tell her I don't understand the logic behind that at all but she just says that that's because I act strange and disappear all the time."

"I can't say I blame ya for doing that when you live with those two. She's still not getting you, then?" I asked. 101 nodded.

"Those siblings of mine," she mused, shaking her head. "They may not get me, but they _do _care, at least. Even if my brother does a slightly better job of showing that than my sister. I mean, I'm not saying that my sister never shows that she cares about me or anything. I'm just saying that even though she doesn't admit her true feelings easily, she can be sweet when she wants to."

"Well, that's good, I guess" I said. "Still don't think you should be hanging around someone like her, though." She looked at me with a weird expression.

"Oh, really?" she said. Then, she sighed. "I was training one day, when I got attacked by a rogue machine. I've never been the best fighter, so once it had my weapon out of my hands, I was ready for the end. But then, my sister came along and chopped its head off. Not before it sliced her arm though. I healed her afterwards, and then she told me something I've never forgotten."

"What was it?" 101 looked at me long and hard before answering.

"The defeat of your enemy is worth any sacrifice."

"Oh," I said after a pause. She sighed again and sat on the grass. I flopped down next to her and, without thinking, let my hand wander over to hers.

"Hmm?" 101 looked to her left and I quickly pulled my hand away, trying not to look embarrassed.

"Sorry," I said. 101 shrugged.

"8, it's all right," she said. "If you wanna get a better idea of how my hands are structured, you can. Though personally, I think the underside looks more interesting than the top."

She held out both her hands and I stared at them, tracing the centre of her left one with my index finger. Her hands both looked and felt like those of a labourer; the wooden palms were rough and cracked and the hollow spaces under her fingers were covered in dents. The palms were an odd colour, too. Yellowish brown, almost.

After a while, I looked up.

"How did they get like that?" I asked. She shrugged.

"They're battle scars of sorts, those hands of mine," 101 said.

"Your palms are an odd colour."

"Oh, yeah. Them." She glanced at the sky for a second or two. "European black pine. That's what they're made from." She started playing with her fingers, then. "I think I heard somewhere that the wood you get from those trees has a very good balance of soft and firm. That's useful."

"You sure like to fidget, don't you?" I said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess I do." She returned her attention to me as she answered. "I always think that if there's one similarity between me and my sister, it's that neither of us can sit still very long. Some of my friends call me 'Twitch' sometimes, but in a friendly way."

"Oh. Hey, about your brother and sister, was that them calling you that other night?"

"Yeah, it was. Speaking of which, I should be getting back to them soon." I frowned.

"Do ya have to?" I asked. "We both just got here." 101 smiled sadly.

"I know," she said, "but I guess you could say that I have a curfew." I managed to laugh, then.

"A curfew?" I said. "Are they your brother and sister or your mom and dad?" She laughed that time.

"You know, sometimes I wonder about that myself." We both stood up and 101 cleared her throat. "Well, I'll see ya when I see ya, I guess. Hopefully, a little sooner than four weeks from now this time."

"Yeah," I said. "Well, goodbye and thanks for the…uh…skull hat."

"The hat, yeah," she said. "And uh…goodbye to you, too."

And then, for the fourth time since the day I first saw her, 101 was gone in a flash and I was left standing on a grassy river bank. I rolled my eyes in the direction she'd run off and took out the helmet. As I stood looking at it, there was a crack of thunder overhead.

**101's POV**

"I'm home," I said as I entered the room I shared with my siblings at the back-up factory. 65 and 84 looked up from their poker game when they heard my voice.

"Where were you?" 65 asked, walking towards me with a smile, her crimson eyes gently inquiring. "We've been waiting forever for you! You know it's Card Game Night! You haven't missed out on it whilst on one of your little adventures for at least three weeks! And just look at the state you're in!"

"Yeah, you're drenched," 84 chimed in. I looked at them both with a vacant expression.

"There's a thunderstorm going on outside," I told them. "And unfortunately, it didn't want to wait until I was inside before it kicked up."

"Oh," said 65 slowly. "That's not nice. But those clouds looked like they were about to burst when you left anyway. You don't usually go far when you think it'll start to rain. Were you with a boy or something?"

"Not exactly," I said, trying my best to keep a straight face. "I was just horsing around down by the river and-"

"The river?" 84 sounded shocked. "But you hate the water. Why would you go there?"

"Ooh!" 65 sounded intrigued. "It wasn't a _boy_. It was a _bad boy_." She looked down and noticed that she was standing in the puddle of water that had dripped off me. She lifted her right foot out of it and moaned in disgust.

"Oh! 101! Ugh! Go dry yourself off, for goodness' sake!" she wailed. I threw up my hands and backed up through the door.

"OK, OK! Geez! Calm down! It's just water!" I said. I turned and walked towards the radiator. I took off my shoulder ropes and hung my scarf and waistband on the radiator to dry while I sat under it.

So, 8 was afraid of water, huh? Well, ever since I became a double agent, I'd been afraid of my own shadow. Pretty great match-up, eh?

It had been good to see him again, and as it turned out, neither of us could swim. In fact, I was pretty sure that the only swimmer out of every one of our kind was 84.

But now, I had another thing to be scared of; 65 was showing signs of getting suspicious.

Maybe I could tell 8 that I was worried about what she would do if she found out about our meetings and he'd help me hide. Or maybe we could elope together and leave the city and start a new life all on our own and-

_There I go again_, I thought as I face-palmed myself. _Oh, heck._

**16's POV**

When the thunder started up, I raised my head from the foetal position I'd curled myself into when I'd gone to sleep. I got on my hands and knees and crawled out of the hole, screwing up my eyes in pain as I got closer and closer to the light. My wounds from the scuffle were hurting and the snake creature's body still lay where it had fallen, where I'd killed it.

I'd found this place the night before. It wasn't far from 14's destroyed grave, but I figured that it would take a while for someone to think to look for me here, at least.

There were footsteps on the ground in here and a table. Some of the footprints were clawed, so I was guessing that this was the hole where 1 had woken up and that the unknown footprints belonged to whoever had brought his body here.

At first, when I'd woken up in the foetal position, I hadn't been able to remember where I was or why I was there. Then, it had hit me.

I stood up once I'd crawled up out of the hole and ran my fingers down my front. I was glad when I felt the familiar bump of two out of six buttons (I had two on my chest and two of the front of each thigh) under a thin layer of fabric.

I reached back into the hole and pulled the scissors out. I realised then that I was wearing the same clothes I'd been wearing when I'd emptied my wardrobe the night before. And it just happened to be my favourite outfit; a black sweater and a pale-pink ribbon belt with a black skirt over blue pants (by that, I meant trousers and not underwear). My hair was still up in the ponytail I'd styled it into with a rubber band, too.

I could remember undressing as I started making myself at home in the hole, but then the creature had attacked. I'd healed the cuts to the best of my ability with some thread I found in the hole and gotten dressed again before falling asleep.

Anyway, as soon as I started walking and even as I stood up, my legs felt funny. It was probably because of the way I'd been sleeping or because of the wounds. Even if it wasn't for those reasons that my legs felt funny, it still wasn't long before I had to sit down to rest.

I heard wheels creaking and looked to my left. An old guy with some sort of top hat made from a stovepipe with a lorgnette, spoon and candle attached to it was coming towards me. He was dragging a roller skate along behind him, which explained the sound of squeaky wheels being forced to turn.

I didn't recognise him, but whether he was one of the two remaining ex-dead guys or part of another clan like 12, I didn't care at this moment.

Another crash of thunder rumbled through the sky and made me jump. It reminded me of a time when I was two or three, and Dad had gone out to bury 5's body. While he was out, a thunderstorm started up. It had been the first time I'd encountered one and I had been really scared and Mom had comforted me.

I suddenly wanted my mom right then and there. I covered my face with my hands and started to cry as the first drops of rain started to fall. The creak of the roller skate's wheels stopped and I felt hands on my left shoulder and right forearm.

"Here, now," said an elderly male voice. "Are you all right, Miss?" I looked up and sniffed as rain dripped onto my face and ran down it like tears.

"I want my mom," I sobbed. The old man sat down next to me and moved the hand that was on my right forearm to my left forearm.

"There, there," he said softly. "It's all right, deary. Don't cry." I sniffed again in response and folded my hands on my lap. "Now, won't you tell me what's the matter?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," I sniffed. He nodded.

"All right, then." That was when he noticed my outfit. "My, my. Did you make these clothes yourself?"

"Well, everything except the ribbon and the rubber band," I said. "I made everything except those two things with my own two hands. I made others clothes too, but I got mad and cut them all up."

"Oh," said Oldie. "What on Earth made you angry enough to do that?"

"A friend of mine and his…girlfriend made fun of the clothes I make. They said they were wastes of good fabric, especially since I'm the only one who even wears them."

"Well, I know I'd be angry if someone said something as nasty as that about something I put a good lot of time and work into," said Oldie. "Oh, wait! Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. My name is 2." I gasped.

"2? What-What-What-What are you doing out here? Everybody at the library's been waiting for you to come back for ages! Especially 5! You've got to come back with me! The others need to know you're OK!" 2 frowned.

"Listen, Miss 16," he said. "I miss the others. But, as much as I'd love to go back and see them all again, I can't."

"What? Why?"

"I can't give you the exact details, but a friend of mine and his new wife are…expecting, you see. They'll need a healer on hand when the baby is born, and I still have to finish putting together the child's circuitry."

"Aren't there other people who could do that?"

"Yes, but there's another reason why I can't go back right now," 2 continued. "I trust you know a Miss 12. She came back to the crawlspace where my friends and I are staying in the early hours of this morning. She said she'd been staying in a library for several weeks, and a newfound friend had left because of something she'd done. I think 12 deserves to know that you're all right, Miss 16."

"OK, two things," I said. "First, my name is 16, like you said. Second, why would you wanna go back to 12's place just to tell her I'm fine?"

"16, she's desperately worried."

"Who cares?" I snapped spitefully.

"Oh, that's not very nice," 2 said. "Either way, I won't leave that place without my friend and his wife." I frowned and nodded once with my eyes closed.

"OK," I said, opening my eyes. "I'm sorry for what I said about 12. And I think your friends would appreciate you staying longer at her place just for them." 2 smiled, then.

"Well, they need me, don't they?" he said. "If I left them alone in their situation, I'd be putting them under a lot of unnecessary stress, now wouldn't I? I simply wouldn't be able to live with myself if I abandoned a vulnerable family like that."

Something clicked inside my head, then. I didn't know what it was, exactly, but I think it was the words "unnecessary stress" that made it click. Whatever it was, it made me realise what my parents must be going through.

I stood up and said, "I have to be going now, 2. I'm glad we had this talk, but I have to go home and be with the people who need _me_." 2's smile widened.

"Good girl," he said. "You are a wise little one for making that decision. I'll be seeing you around sometime soon, I should hope."

"Yeah." I started to walk away, but then I looked over my shoulder. "Oh! And tell your friends…that you need them, too."

**~Soulbound~**

The library was like a ghost town when I arrived. I felt chilly and I was still wet from the rain, so I decided to go to my room.

I was amazed at how clean it was when I got to the top of the book staircase. When I'd come up here to total my clothes, the pieces of my broken mirror had been all over the floor along with 15's ponytail (which she'd cut off when she'd sliced it with a mirror shard).

But now, the floor was clear of even my destroyed clothes and there was no trace of glass, wool, fabric or thread anywhere. My eyes immediately focused on my bed when they caught sight of the figure sitting on it.

It was Dad, and he was holding a bird skull on his lap. It was most likely the "skullmet" Mom used to wear that I'd heard so much about. He looked up when he heard me step onto the wooden floor and his eyes widened when he saw me.

He put the skullmet down, stood up and walked towards me. I set the scissors down and mimicked the third action. We approached each other in slow motion. We met in the centre of the room, just in front of the empty wardrobe, the doors of which were still open. We stood looking at each other for a few seconds before he threw his arms around my neck.

"I thought you'd never come back," he whispered, his voice swollen with the invisible tears he couldn't shed.

"Oh, Daddy," I whimpered as I hugged him back. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He leaned away from my embrace and looked at me with a sad smile.

"We've been so worried about you," he said. "_I've _been worried about you. 5's been in floods of tears."

"I know, I know, I know, I know," I sobbed. Then, his hand touched my broken shoulder and I said "Ow!" a little louder than intended.

"Are you OK?" Dad asked.

"I'm fine." Dad didn't look convinced.

"16, show me your arms."

"What for?" I asked apprehensively. That only seemed to make Dad more suspicious.

"If you won't show me, I'll have to look for myself," he said firmly. I was shocked. Dad started towards me, and it was probably my expression that was egging him on. He took hold of the end of my sleeve.

"Don't!" I wailed. If he saw what that thing had done to me, he'd never let me fight. He'd never let me help. He rolled up the sleeve and gasped.

"Bloody hell…" he whispered. Then, he looked at me. "16…what happened?"

"No," I pouted, feeling about as much like a five-year-old as I sounded.

"Did you do this to yourself?"

"No."

"'No' what?"

"No!" I wailed. I yanked my arm out of his grasp and flopped onto my bed, ignoring the screams of protest from all over my body. Dad looked at me.

"Some of those scars stretched down from above your elbow," he said after a short silence. "Are there more of them?" My head was robotic as it nodded and caused the high collar of my sweater to roll down. Dad saw what was underneath the collar right away.

"Up you get and take those clothes off," he ordered. Somewhere, a door creaked open. The broom closet door, I think it was.

I pushed myself off the bed and glanced at the huge damp patch I left behind on it. I struggled out of my soaking clothes, feeling a little nauseated as they clung unpleasantly to my skin, to my wounds.

"My God," Dad said once I was naked and taking my ponytail down. "What happened to _you_?" He looked at my face suspiciously, as if he didn't believe that I hadn't done this myself.

I didn't want to talk about what had happened and what was funny was that he was expecting me to. Which only went to prove that he had _no _idea of how I was trying to deal with this. I couldn't help myself. The laughter came on before I could stop it.

"16!" Dad snapped. I didn't stop. I laughed and laughed until I couldn't be sure whether I was laughing or crying. I flopped onto the bed again, landing my right side.

Big mistake.

I heard the tiny rip and the sickening feeling of something poking its way through my skin. Then, I felt pain and screamed, clutching at the spot where I'd felt the poke. My hands touched something sharp and covered it, trying to stop Dad from seeing. My eyes squeezed shut.

"16?" Dad said, his voice heavy with concern. I whimpered in response. He touched my injured shoulder and I shrieked with pain in the exact same way that it did.

"What's going on up here?" 5's voice came from the top of the stairs. "Is 16 back?"

"Over here," I wailed, coughing after I spoke. I heard footsteps and then Dad's hand was gone from my shoulder. I allowed my eyes to open just as 5 stopped by the bed next to Dad.

I rolled over onto my back and looked down at my hands. I hardly dared to take them away from the sharp thing but when I did, I wished I hadn't.

The sharp thing was a rib.

I looked up. I couldn't bear to look at Dad's face, so I concentrated on making eye contact with 5.

"Help me."


	17. Chapter 17

OK, I think I've kept you guys in suspense long enough. Here's the chapter that shows 16's recovery.

By the way, in 4's narrated segment, there's a point where 6 gets this faraway look in his eyes, like he's having a vision of the future. But he chooses to keep it to himself. EPIC FORESHADOWING!

4 and 16's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy.

_Chapter 17_

4's POV

I was lying on a sofa in the Common Room, with about three blankets wrapped round me. I'd told them all that constantly keeping myself warm whilst pregnant wasn't important, and 36 had backed me up. But our words had fallen on deaf ears.

2 was out, 12 was pacing and 6 was sitting down by my feet. 47 came and knelt beside me, right next to where my stomach was. This was her first experience with pregnancy and she was even more overexcited than usual as a result.

"You're having a little girl, yes?" she asked. I nodded. "Can she hear me if I talk to her?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," 6 said to her. 47's smile widened and she leaned forward, placing her right hand on top of my stomach.

"Hello there, little girl," she said to it. "What's your name?"

"We're going to call her 10," said 6. "But even when she's born, I doubt that she'll be able to talk for quite a while." 47 frowned.

"Aw!" she whined. "I want her to be here _now_!" She was pouting so much as she said this it was almost funny. 6 seemed to be amused as well because he laughed. I sat up and leaned towards her so I could talk.

_Would you like to come up here? _I asked.

"There's no room on the sofa."

_Climb over and lie down on my left side. But watch out for my stomach._

"OK, 4," said 47. "I'll be careful." She put her hands on the part of the sofa that was on my right and pushed herself up. She swung her legs over my stomach (taking care not to touch it with them) and flopped down on my left. Then, she placed her left on top of my stomach.

"Does she kick very often?" she asked.

_Sometimes_, I flickered. I placed my left hand next to 47's and felt a warm spot underneath it. Then, there was a soft thump from under my skin. _See? She's saying hello._

"Yeah," said 47. "I felt her kick." 6 chuckled down by my feet.

"I can't tell if you two are just friends or mother and daughter anymore," he joked. 47 burst into peals of laughter at this point.

"And neither do we," she said. Suddenly, the door to the outside opened and 2 came into the Common Room, dripping wet and shivering.

"My God, man," came 11's voice from his chair. "Didn't you have the sense to take cover until the rain died down?"

"My main concern was getting home quickly," 2 replied. "I didn't want 4 and 6 to worry. And besides, I have something to tell them and 12." 36 grabbed a piece that she'd cut off from a bigger towel and approached him with it.

"OK, but you should at least get dry and warm up before you tell them," she said to 2 as she covered him with the piece of towel. "We wouldn't want you catching a cold, now would we?"

"I thought you said that our kind doesn't get sick," 12 reminded her. 36 rolled her eyes at the winged girl, still smiling.

"Oh, get over it," she laughed. Then, she looked at us. "4, 6, could you go and wait for 2 in your room with 12? 47, you stay."

"Yes, Mommy," 47 said brightly. She gently patted my stomach. "Bye, little girl."

_All right, 47_, I flickered. _6 is going to help me get up. So, you just lie there and keep still until I'm up, OK?_

"OK." As 47 spoke, 6 slid off the sofa onto his feet and told hold of my outstretched hands. Still sitting up, I twisted round until I was facing him and my legs were touching the ground. He pulled me up off the sofa and led me by the hands into our room.

_You don't need to do this_, I flickered to them. _I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself._

"What if you fall?" 6 said. "If I hold onto you, it'll be easier for me to catch you if you trip over your feet. And that's highly likely at the moment since you can't see your feet, anyway."

_9 didn't do this with 7 when she was pregnant_, I pointed out.

"That's because 7 is a little more hot on her feet." I frowned.

_Oh, so now I'm not hot on my feet just because I'm pregnant? Well, thanks. Thanks a lot. _I yanked my hands out of 6's grasp and stormed into our room, where I plonked myself down in a chair with my arms folded. 12 and 6 came in a second later, leaving the door open for 2.

"4, you left your blankets behind in the Common Room," 12 said as she approached my chair.

_Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn_, I flickered back. _I don't need blankets and I'm perfectly capable of walking by myself. So, just lay off. Both of you._ As I finished, I felt a tentative little nudge on the inside of my stomach.

"Sorry for the hold-up, you three," 2 said as he walked in, the towel still draped around his shoulders. "36 wanted me to stay longer in the Common Room."

"4 says she doesn't want the blankets," said 12, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. "And she doesn't want us helping her to walk either. She doesn't like it."

"I'd say that's because she's older than she was the last time 6 and I saw her," said 2. "And she wants to be treated like she's older instead of like a child." I nodded slowly.

"Looks like that's true," 12 said when she noticed the action.

"Right then," said 2, sitting in the chair next to 6's. "What I wanted to say was…I met your friend 16 today, 12." 12's eyes widened.

"What? Really? Is she OK?"

"She looked fine physically but she was crying when I came across her," 2 said. "She went home after she calmed down but I noticed something when she walked away."

"What?" 12 asked anxiously.

"She seemed to be…limping," 2 told her. "I think something was wrong with her legs, but I couldn't be sure." I started twitching then and talking in my flicker speech even though no one was close enough to understand.

_I want to go home! _I sobbed in flicker speech. _I only came out here in the first place because I wanted to find 6! I didn't ask for any of the other stuff that happened! I don't want to be in this crawlspace anymore! It's crowded and hot and I hate it! I want to go back to the library! I want my brother! I want 7! I want 16! I want-_

I didn't get to finish my rant because I fell out of my chair at this point. 6 stood up and started to come over but I shook my head and held up a hand to stop him. There was a hard kick from the baby as I did so.

_I'm OK. We're OK_, I thought towards the bump. I pushed myself up as 6 returned to his chair. But, as he started to sink down onto the seat, he lowered his head a little and his eyes glazed over. He stared in my direction but not at me while I got back into my own seat.

"6, are you all right?" 12 asked. 6, his eyes still glazed a little, raised his head and looked at her.

"I'm fine," he replied monotonously. "It was nothing. Could you all excuse me for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, he stood up and walked slowly out of the room.

"What's with _him_?" 12 asked after a moment's silence. 2 wouldn't look at her as he spoke.

"I think he just had a vision," he said. "The question is; why would he make an excuse to leave without talking about it?" He looked at me. "What were you trying to say when you fell out of your chair, 4?" I got up and walked towards him.

_Nothing. It's not important_, I flickered. _Can you two step outside, though? I want to be alone for a little while._

"All right," said 2. "12, let's go. 4 needs some time to herself." 12 jumped off the bed and shot me a glance as she followed 2 out. I closed the door behind them and curled up in the spot where 12 had been sitting, rubbing my stomach as I lay there.

_What are we gonna do, 10? _I thought towards the bump. _I think 6's visions are starting to come back, and we can't go home until your body is finished. I feel so lost. Oh, if only 9 was here. He'd know what to do. He was always good with stuff like this._

Inside my stomach, 10 gave a hesitant little kick in agreement.

16's POV

I moaned.

"16?" gasped Dad's voice. I moaned again and sat up, pressing my right hand to my forehead. "You're awake! You were in such a bad way that 5 and I couldn't be sure if you would survive the surgery! You were hurt pretty bad, but I'm glad you're OK."

"What happened?" I asked wearily, my eyes still closed. I felt Dad's hand on my right shoulder (the one that had been broken), which was prickling uncomfortably.

"You passed out," he said. "I'm glad you're feeling better. You were out for a while."

"How long?"

"About two hours," Dad replied. "1 and 15 came back just as 5 was finishing up the operation. 3 was asleep in his room when you came back, but he's awake now and those three are keeping him occupied. Your mom's still out, though."

"Where is she?"

"We're not sure. 8's waiting by the entrance so he can tell her what's going on when she comes back." I opened my eyes then and lowered my hand. The infirmary was dimly-lit and blurry, and Dad was sitting on a spool of thread next to my bed.

"Do you mind getting 5?" I asked, blinking as I spoke to get rid of the blurs in my vision. "I have to talk to him. Apologise." Dad nodded and let go of my shoulder.

"All right, honey. I'll go get him," he said. "And I'll go 3 too, OK?" I nodded and he left. I took the opportunity to pull the blanket away from the lower half of my body.

The stitches from the wounds I'd sewn up were still there, though the ones that had been untidy had been redone. There was an "X"-shaped stitching down near my right hip, where the rib had broken through. I reached down and touched it.

The thread in the stitches felt unpleasantly cool but when I pressed down on them, they flared with pain and I retracted my hand immediately. I heard footsteps coming towards the door and lay back, covering myself up again.

"Hey, 16," said 5 as he walked in. "How're you holding up?"

"Fine, I guess," I replied. 3 came in then, pushing past 5 and running towards my bed, his eyes flashing like mad.

_16, you're OK! _he flickered excitedly. _I thought you were a goner for sure!_

"So did I, for a while there," I replied. Then, I remembered something and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for scaring you like that, 3. And I'm also sorry that I couldn't find anything on 4."

_That's all right. The main thing is that _you're _OK. Losing my twin sister is one thing. Losing my little sister _after _losing my twin is another._

"Er…OK." I turned to 5 as he came over and sat down. "I'm sorry about what I did the other night, 5. I overreacted…and I really made a mountain out of a molehill."

"It's OK," 5 replied. "I shouldn't have said those things in the first place. I'm just glad that you're alive and safe now. And…I don't know if 9 told you this, but 12's gone."

"Oh," I said, cursing myself for saying that instead of telling him about 2. "Was she upset?"

"Yeah, she was," 5 told me. Then, he smiled. "By the way, remember how you fixed up my eye patch? Well, I guess you could say that fixing _you _up was my way of returning the favour."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for that." I heard laughter from the doorway and looked up to see Dad leaning against the doorframe. Then, I heard running footsteps and something grey and very fast almost knocked him over.

"16, you're alive!" laughed 15's voice. She dashed over (sending 3 flying in the process) and threw her arms around me. The resulting pain in my bad shoulder was searing, and I kept saying "ow" until she got the idea and stepped away, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry," she said. "Erm…I was just…uh…just checkin' to see if you were all right and…ugh!" Her father came over at this point and squeezed her shoulder, hard enough to make her cry out in pain.

"Thanks," she said, rubbing the spot he'd squeezed. "I needed that." 1 smiled and knelt beside my bed. I smiled at him.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Like I vomited after eating a mountain of food, had my legs cut off while I was wide awake and got run over by a bus all at the same time," I replied. "On top of that, I'm dead tired and yet insomniac. Long story short, I just feel…drained."

"Oh," 1 said. "Well, I'm sure that's just because of your injuries. It'll pass." He reached across my stomach to pat my right hand and his wrist brushed against the spot on my hip where the "X"-shaped stitching was. I winced and he pulled his hand back.

"Sorry," he said.

"No worries." No sooner than the words had left my mouth that the door flew open, almost coming off its hinges as it did so.

"16!" shrieked my mother's voice. She shoved 1 out of the way with her body and I sat up as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Oh, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom," I said, returning the hug. "Relax. I just needed some stitching and a few broken bones mended."

"A few broken bones? Oh, my poor baby!" Mom sobbed. In the corner, 1, 8 and 15 started laughing, most likely because they'd never seen this side of Mom before. She turned her head away from me for a second.

I don't know what she did exactly, but it must've been a glare because they immediately clammed up.


	18. Chapter 18

Wow! It's been a month since I first published this fanfic, and I'm on Chapter 18 already!

**Anyway, this chapter isn't very long (and, therefore, isn't very well written) but it shows 101 undergoing a slight character-change and losing some of her timidness, as well 8 overcoming his "fear" of water to save her from drowning.**

**It also a short public service announcement on how NOT to cliff-dive into a fast-flowing river.**

**All 101's POV in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 18

**101's POV**

It had been about a week since the last time I'd talked to 8. And from the looks of my latest surveillance session at the library, the leader's daughter had more or less recovered from her injuries and left the infirmary three days ago.

And as for me, I was bored again. On top of that, 65 had told me to stop being such a shaky wimp when it came to fighting at the end of a sparring session we'd had recently.

And so, here I was on a ledge above the river. As I stood there staring down at the water, I was thinking about how silly I was for even imagining myself jump off a cliff into a river.

_This is crazy, crazy, crazy!_ I thought. _I'm mad! There must be something wrong with me for wanting to do this! I'm insane! _This _is insane! Stupid! A death wish! Suicide!_

No! I forced those thoughts from my mind and started to take my stuff off, leaving it in a small pile near my compass.

"You wanted me to be braver, 65," I said, dictating my thoughts. "Now, watch me." I jumped. I fell down very fast, but it seemed like an eternity had gone by when I finally hit the water. I had just enough time to catch my breath as my feet went under.

The water was freezing, and it hurt me to be in it for a little while. It was like a thousand knives were being stuck into me. I couldn't breathe because I was underwater and I couldn't think about anything except for the pain.

I couldn't even remember that I was in the water for a second or two. Even as I sank deeper and deeper to the point of almost being _forced _to let my breath out. That was when I opened my eyes and pushed myself up towards the surface.

As soon as I breached the surface, I sucked a huge mouthful of air down into my grateful lungs. I'd gotten used to the temperature now and could think around the numbing pain all over my body. I could also see that the slow-flowing water was gently pushing me along so I didn't have to do any swimming. For now, at least.

I smiled at that. I had done it. I'd proved to 65 that I wasn't as big a wimp as she'd previously thought. Now, I could wait for the river to run past the bank and swim toward it so I could get my stuff and go home.

Oh, wait! I was still facing in the direction of the cliff that I'd jumped from. I couldn't see where the current was taking me, so I swivelled round to correct that. I immediately wished I hadn't.

The slow current was beginning to speed up, dragging me downstream in the direction of the rapids. There wasn't a near-enough and clear-enough patch of bank anywhere and soon, the current would be too fast to ever swim against.

_Oh, God_, I thought. _I should've chosen a ledge further up the river, away from the fast water._

As the current pulled me into the fast water, I sucked in the deepest breath I could and ducked my head under.

I quickly realised that going under wasn't the best idea. Being under the water of the rapids was like someone dragging me along behind them by my throat. I was forced to let my breath out sooner than what was comfortable for me and I kept getting slammed against rocks.

I tried to surface but the current was too fast and I wasn't a very good swimmer to start with. I tried to scream but doing that just let the water into my mouth. And every time I tried to spit out the water, my mouth filled up with it again.

_Help me, 65! _I cried silently. _Help! Help me! I'm in the river!_

I had drowned once before, but this was something else. I couldn't breathe anything but liquid and I couldn't go ten seconds without being bruised and battered and bashed by a rock.

Finally, my front side was slammed against as rock and with the last of my strength, I scaled it until my head and shoulders were above the surface. I could feel my bottom half being pulled back into the grasp of the rapids, so I held onto the rock as best I could.

"101!" a deep voice cried out. Was it 11? Was it 84? I couldn't tell. I didn't care, either. I just hoped that whoever it was could swim or would at least try to help me.

Then, my top half went under again and my hands and arms scraped against the rock hopelessly as I lost my grip on it. I didn't have the time or the strength to take a breath before I was sucked under.

I was vaguely aware when I was pushed back out into the slow-flowing water. That was when I started to hear splashing, the kind that you hear when someone's trying to run through water. But I was too tired and sore to care.

I felt my heavy eyes shut just as familiar strong arms yanked me upwards.

**~Soulbound~**

"Breathe! Breathe! Come on, 101! Breathe!"

"Mmm?" My eyes slowly fluttered open and a blurry, dripping-wet, white shape came into view. I couldn't see clearly because of my blurred vision and the water droplets running down my fogged-up eyeglass.

My stomach suddenly churned and I sat up and started coughing. I felt a large pair of hands patting me on the back as I began to throw up the water that was still inside me. Finally, it was all out and I was kneeling on the ground, the water droplets on my eyeglass dripping onto the dirt like tears.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I heard 8's voice say behind me. "I know your brother and sister aren't exactly easy to live with, but I don't see how _that _would make you wanna kill yourself."

"I wasn't trying to kill myself!" I snapped, looking over my shoulder at him. "I was…cliff-jumping! Recreationally!" He stood up and stepped back so I could get up and dust myself off.

"Rec-what?" he said. I growled in frustration and whipped round, balling my hands into fists.

"Recreationally!" I screamed. "I was doing it for enjoyment, for God's sake! You can't even have a conversation with me without having to have something explained for you! Read a goddamn dictionary, will ya?" I heard something whip through the air and then 8's palm collided with my left cheek. Hard.

I gasped and rubbed the spot where he'd slapped me, staring at my feet. Then, I turned around and started back up the hill to where my stuff was waiting. I heard 8 following slowly behind me the whole time, but I didn't care.

I took my hand away from my face and started to sniffle when I was about halfway up the hill. I managed not to cry out loud, but I couldn't stop sniffling and I was still doing that as I bent down to pick up my stuff. That was when I felt 8's hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, 101," he said. I chuckled darkly and stood up, leaving my things on the ground as I turned to face him.

"You have no idea, do you?" I still couldn't bring myself to look at his face, so I stared at his chest instead. "You have no idea what I go through everyday. Can you imagine what it's like for me? At all? Can you imagine what it's like running around 24/7 for my so-called 'friends' who don't appreciate me? Have you any inkling of what it's like living with MY FUCKING SISTER?"

That was when I completely lost it and started thumping his stomach with both fists at the same time. I felt a stab of pain travel up my skinny arms with every strike, but I didn't care. I couldn't contain my rage.

Frankly, I was amazed at 8 throughout the whole thing. He didn't cry out in pain or try to grab my arms or yell for me to stop. He just stood there and took it, and if I'd looked at his face while I was hitting him, it probably would've been about as blank and expressionless as I imagined it would.

Eventually, I _did _stop. The pacing of my thumps began to get slower, and soon I was hitting 8's stomach with first my right fist and then my left, panting all the while. When the hitting ceased altogether, I unrolled my fingers from my fists and rested my palms against 8's stomach. Then, I leaned forward until the upper edges of my eyeglass casings were resting against his stomach as well. He placed his hands on my shoulders and held them there as I started sobbing.

If there were any passers-by around at that moment, I cannot begin to tell you how strange we would've looked to them. I mean, what could be stranger than two homunculi standing in a position like the one we were holding, one crying and both stark naked and soaked to the skin?

After a while, I pulled away and got dressed, ignoring the way that my clothes clung to my skin made me want to be sick. When I picked up my compass and started to head back down the hill, I looked over my shoulder, finally managing to look 8 in the eye.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you, 8," I said. "I mean, I haven't even thanked you for fishing me out of the river yet." He shrugged.

"No problem."

"OK. But why would you wanna save someone like me, anyway?"

"I like you." My soul container skipped a beat and my face warmed up.

"Oh. Well, I…" I stammered. 8 rolled his eyes in response.

"I meant as a friend, stupid," he explained. The heat in my face went away and I sighed.

"OK, then. Um…I'm sorry, but I need to go home now." He shrugged again and smiled.

"Excuses, excuses," he mused.

**~Soulbound~**

I was in love with him, no doubt about it. And, predictably, this led to some banter between my heart and my common sense as I walked home.

Common Sense: "This is bad! This is so very bad!"

Heart: "Aw, c'mon! You worry too much!"

Common Sense: "Well, then, can you please tell me what makes you so sure that nothing bad is going to come of all of this? And, by the way, what happens when 8 finds out who you really are?"

Heart: "Go away, you!"

No matter how much I tried to deny it, my common sense was right.

I had to tell 8 the truth.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi there! Demon Llama Nerd here!**

**I regret to inform you that this is my last update for a while since I'm off to summer camp tomorrow.**

**But! I'm back on August 4th, and I'll come back with another update then!**

**I know 36 said that 11 was her husband, but the truth is that she had a crush on 11 once. After they…um…got intimate for the first time, she gave up on him because she'd realised he didn't love her. They only pretend to be husband and wife to protect their daughter by hiding her illegitimacy.**

**Finally, we meet yet another new machine in this chapter (which is narrated entirely by 16); the Croc.**

Chapter 19

**16's POV**

"Why are we out here again?" 1 asked. I sighed.

"To look for 8," I reminded him. He raised an eyebrow in response.

"Why? He's a big lad. He can take care of himself."

"Yes, but he's not in the library which means he has to be somewhere in the Emptiness. And the weird thing about that is that it's not his turn to scout." 1 lowered the raised eyebrow and acknowledged this with a brief nod.

"Well, you're right there," he said. "8 wouldn't just wander off. He hates scouting."

"Exactly." I sniffed and put an arm out in front of him. "Wait. I smell something."

"Oh," 1 said, chuckling self-consciously. "Excuse me." I shook my head.

"I don't think that was you." I sniffed again and moaned. "It smells like weeks-old roadkill that's been left out in the sun on a hot summer's day. But for some reason, it smelled closer the second time I caught a whiff than it did the first."

"Ssh," hissed 1. "Listen." I closed my mouth and as still as I possibly could. There was the clinking sound that the metal limbs of a machine made when it ran somewhere nearby, and it was getting closer to us by the second from the sound of it.

When I sniffed after I heard this, the stink of roadkill getting toasted was unbearable.

"16…" 1 murmured fearfully, pushing down on my outstretched arm to lower it. The clinking sound continued to grow louder until suddenly, a machine leapt into the clearing and stopped in front of us, growling.

It had a head like a crocodile, with two red eyes glaring down at me and 1. In between its ribcage and spine was a large brown cloth bag, and three huge quills were flicking on its spine. Its neck was made from the tube of a vacuum cleaner, and its tail was long and pointed.

"16!" 1 said, panic filling his voice. I pulled up my machete towards my chest, ready just in case.

"Run," I commanded, wishing that I felt as fearless as I sounded. 1 and I turned and ran straight away, but the weird thing was that I couldn't hear the crocodile creature behind us.

When I looked over my shoulder at it, the tail shot out and wrapped its tip around my right ankle. I lost my footing and as I fell flat on my chin, I felt myself being dragged back the way I'd come.

"1!" I called after him. I dug my fingertips into the soil, trying to slow down the rate of the dragging. 1 stopped running and gasped when he turned around. I screamed and twisted round so that I was looking in the direction of the creature.

Behind me, I heard 1's footsteps coming back towards me and then his arms wrapped themselves around my chest, yanking me upwards at the same time.

1 held me like that, playing tug-of-war with the creature for what seemed like forever. Finally, his feet slipped and in a second, he was underneath me and we were both being dragged towards the creature.

When we were directly below the creature's head, it opened its mouth and hoisted us upwards. Then, it tossed us both into its mouth, closed it and jerked its head backwards.

That was when we found out the hard way why its neck was made from a vacuum cleaner tube.

**~Soulbound~**

1 and I sat in the creature's cloth-bag stomach for a long time, almost never speaking.

"Where do you think it's taking us?" I asked when I could stand the silence no longer.

"To the Machine, most likely," 1 replied. I shuddered at the way he said it.

"And…what will the Machine do to us when we get to it?" I pressured, feeling a bit stupid for asking him questions I already knew or could easily guess the answers to.

"Take a wild guess." He let out a sigh and rubbed his upper arms. "Without your sword, we're dead. With the talisman in the Machine's possession, we're dead. If we try to force our way out of this thing…"

"We're dead!" I laughed, trying to snap him out of the depression he'd suddenly fallen into. "We're dead, we're dead, we're dead!" 1 glared at me and I sighed as my smile disappeared. He started speaking again when I started staring at my feet.

"Just like your father," he mused. Then, he stopped and looked towards the top of the tube. "Hello, what's that?" He crawled upwards towards the creature's mouth a little.

"What is it, 1?" I asked. I moved towards him, squinting in the direction of the tube.

"I think I see light," 1 said. "No, wait. I definitely see light. And do you feel that? We've stopped moving." There was a rumbling sound and the creature's belly shook.

I stared up the tube and then at 1's face.

"I think it wants us to get out," I said to him. "I'll go first to make sure it's safe."

"_You'll _go first? Are you insane?" I shrugged.

"Ladies first," I reminded him. I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back a little before I started to climb up the tube.

Have you ever tried to climb up the slippery part of a playground slide? Well, then, you'll easily imagine what it was like for me inside the creature's neck. But I somehow managed it in the end.

The creature's mouth opened up onto what appeared to be a birdcage with a small girl inside it. I jumped out onto the floor of the cage and walked away from the creature a little so 1 could do the same.

Once we were both in the cage, the creature closed its mouth and stepped back. The blonde chick who had attacked us before-whose name, as I recalled from that day, was 65-came out from behind it and closed and locked the door.

"OK. Let's see here," she said, looking at 1, the little girl in the corner and then me. "We've got the grouchy geezer who cost our master the talisman, the daughter of the one who killed our master and the bastard daughter of a miserable traitor." She smiled and patted the creature's head affectionately.

"Good job," she congratulated. "Not a bad haul, my beauty. Our master _will _be pleased." 1 walked towards the cage door and took hold of the bars as the creature lumbered off somewhere.

"Release us at once, 65!" he demanded. 65 swaggered towards the door and bent over until her face was millimetres away from 1's.

"But if I release you, I'll be throwing away three perfectly good souls. I must admit that it's a very tempting thought. Sadly, I don't think my master would appreciate me doing that." As she said the last sentence, she tickled 1 under his chin whilst pouting seductively.

"65," apologised a little voice from the doorway. 65 spun round and when I looked round her, I saw the other girl whose name I didn't know from the attack. She was soaking wet and coming towards her comrade.

"You go ask the Machine which one he wants brought to him first. I'll keep an eye on them." 65 nodded and handed the girl the key before looking her up and down.

"Any reason why you're all wet?" she asked, gripping her own chin between the thumb and index finger of her right hand. The other girl shrugged.

"Fell in the river," she said. 65 shrugged too and headed out of the door. After she'd gone, the girl waited a whole second before dashing over to the cage.

"All right, you guys, listen," she said quietly. "The front door isn't the only exit in here. I know another way out of this place, but we gotta hurry." The little girl behind me got up and ran over to the spot where the bigger girl was standing, a wide grin on her face.

"101!" she chirped happily. "I knew you'd come for us!" The woman, 101, reached through the bars and ruffled the girl's dreadlock hair.

"Nice to see you too, 47," she said. "I'd ask what you're doing here, but now's not a good time." 1 spoke up at this point.

"What kind of trickery are you trying to pull here, girl?" 101 scowled at him.

"I'm trying to save your lives," she snapped. "Now, if you want to get out of here, I'll need you to give me your full cooperation."

"What? No way!" I said to her. "You almost killed our friend! We could never trust you!" 101 smiled deviously and raised an eyebrow.

"You'll have to," she said pointedly. "Or would you rather stick around to have your souls taken out?" She stuck the key in the lock, twisted it and opened the door. The kid called 47 immediately scuttled out and 1 looked at me.

"I don't think we should," he said hesitantly. I sighed.

"Look, if that kid trusts her, that's good enough for me." I walked past him and stood beside 47 and 101. 1 hesitated a little longer before following me. He grabbed hold of 101's wrist as soon as he was out.

"Hey!" she squealed loudly. She tried to free herself but 1's grip was strong.

"Listen to me and listen to me carefully," he commanded her, a dangerous edge to her voice. "I want to escape so for now, I'm cooperating with you because I have no other choice. But, if you give me _one _reason to believe that you're trying to trick us, I'll stop you right then and there. Machine or no Machine."

"Hmph!" scoffed 101, who finally managed to pull her arm out of his grasp. "Do as you will. But for now, just focus on getting out of the factory and try to be as sneaky as you possibly can. If we get caught, returning home will be the least of your worries. Now, come with me."

101 started walking towards the wall on her right and we all followed after her. When she stopped in front of the wall, I was about to say something because there wasn't another door on it. That was when 101 pulled a roof tile leaning against the wall away, exposing a hole that looked big enough for a small dog to fit through.

"Come on! Hurry!" she hissed urgently at us. She stood to one side as 1 and I rushed past and jumped onto the dirt outside. Once we were through the hole, 101 picked up 47 and deposited her into 1's outstretched arms. Then, she dragged the tile back over the hole and hopped onto the ground next to us.

"Follow me!"

**~Soulbound~**

We were running behind 101 for quite a long time, 1 clutching 47 to his chest all the while. I was amazed he could hold her for that long since she looked like she weighed about as much as I did at her age. On top of that, when I was her age, I was too heavy for even Mom to carry like that anymore and 1 was significantly physically weaker than her.

Finally, 101 stopped in front of a mound of garbage suspended above a hole by a fishing net and some tent poles. The entrance to the short tunnel leading down into the hole was covered by another roof tile, and when I saw the body of the snake creature next to the mound, I recognised it all at once.

"Get in!" 101 ordered as she dragged the tile away from the tunnel entrance. 1 finally set 47 down and she slid down into the hole immediately. 1 and I followed suit and 101 covered the hole as she too went in.

"I'm sure you two have been here before," she said, looking at 1 and me. "Welcome to my hidey-hole. It's not much, but 65 and the Machine don't know where it is and…you know…mi casa es su casa."

"So, it was you?" 1 asked, his eyes wide "You brought me here?" 101 nodded.

"I thought you were dead," she explained. "I was going to bury you if you hadn't come back." Then, she looked at me. "And you were here a week ago, if I'm not mistaken. I would get mad at you for mucking up my thread, but you were injured and I'm glad that you took out the Boa. After all, if it knew about this place and told the Machine, 65 would probably look here for you first."

"Oh," I said as 101 struck a match and lit a few candles. "Um…thanks for saving us, I guess." She glanced at me and smiled before tossing the match away and approaching 47.

"Hey, pal," she said, placing a hand on the girl's head. "How you holding up?"

"I'm scared," 47 whimpered, wrapping her arms around 101's waist. 101 patted her head in response.

"I know, but don't worry. You're safe and you're out of that factory. I'll bring you home now." She looked at 1 and then me.

"Listen up, you two. I'm going to take 47 here back to her parents. Once I've taken care of that, I'll come back here to bring you guys back to your library. Until then, you may as well get some rest. Any questions?"

"Just one," 1 said. "Why are you helping us?" 101 chuckled as she helped 47 up through the hole and started to follow after her.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I've been on your side this whole time."


	20. Chapter 20

**I'M BAAAAAACK!**

**Yes, my dear readers. I managed to survive an entire week at summer camp (then again, I can survive anything that my sister doesn't attend with me) and I am now back.**

**We're very close to the end of the story now. There's probably about ten chapters (most of which are quite short) left plus the epilogue and acknowledgements and then we're done.**

**Sorry about this chapter. It isn't very well written and the dialogue is pretty shitty at times. Also, I've updated my profile again.**

**5 and 1's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 20 5's POV

I was having a nap in my bed (my bedroom was a windowsill) when someone knocked on the wooden "floor".

"Huh?" I murmured sleepily as I raised my head. I looked over my shoulder to see 9 hoisting himself up onto the sill.

"Hey, 5," he said. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping," I replied. 9's face fell a little.

"Oh, sorry," he said. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of my bed.

"No worries," I said as I got to my feet. "What can I do you for?"

"You haven't seen 1 and 16 around, have you?"

"No, why?"

"They went out to look for 8 and he came back not long after they left. They've been gone quite a while, it's getting dark and I'm getting worried."

Suddenly, a large pebble came crashing through the window and 9 and I covered our heads to protect them from the shower of broken glass.

When it was over, I went to look through the hole the rock had just made. 12 was standing on the ground next to a small sapling.

"Psst! 5!" she hissed up to me. 9 came over to the window as I answered.

"12?" I said in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Stand back!" she commanded. "I'll come up!" 9 and I did as we were told and 12 unfurled her wings. "One for the money, two for the show, three for the…uh…comes before four and here we go!"

As soon as she'd said the last word, 12 took off into the air, landed on the outside windowsill, folded her wings and slipped in through the hole.

"Sorry about the window there, boys," she said once she was in. "I only meant to get your attention with that rock, not break the glass."

"That's not important right now," I replied. "What are you doing back here? And what was up with you leaving without saying goodbye?" 12 suddenly found her feet very interesting.

"Well, the thing is…I talked with 11," she started. "And…he says it's OK for me to bring you to An Áit de Saoirse. But you, 5, can only come if you can help me convince 9 to come."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out!" 9 interjected. "What's all this about 11 and convincing or whatever? What are you talking about, 12?" 12 and I sighed and stared at each other. It was me who answered, in the end.

"9…sit down," I said. "12 has something to tell you." 9 plonked himself down on the foot of my bed and 12 told him most of what she'd told me. A few times, he tried to interrupt but I told him to keep quiet and let her talk.

"And that's the whole story," 12 said at last. "So, what do you think, 9? Will you help us?" 9 stared at the floor for a long time and then looked up at her.

"I thought there was something about that 101 when 65 stole the talisman," he said. "She had a chance to finish me off, but she didn't take it. She left me alive." He stood up and a look of determination crossed his face. "12, I want you to take us to this 11. I want to tell him personally that he has the full support of my clan until the Machine is defeated."

"Wait!" I interjected. "You just found out that 12 was created by the Machine, and you're saying that you're perfectly OK with this and you're happy to support her cause?"

"Yes," 9 replied. I stared at him in surprise. I'd expected him to be angry or start pointing fingers when 12 finished talking.

"What the hell are they putting in the water in this town?" I asked rhetorically, bursting with laughter. When I calmed down, 9 stood up and 12 walked towards the hole in the window.

"All right," she said, starting to climb through. "You two grab whatever you need and I'll fly us to the crawlspace. I'll just wait out here until you're ready." 9 and I nodded and he headed off to grab a few things from his room.

12 watched me through the glass while I picked up my utility pack and slipped my crossbow, a few needles and a match (just in case) into it. As I slung it over my shoulder, 9 came back carrying his light bulb staff and a spool of red thread.

"Sorry, 5," he said as he handed it to me. "I could only carry one up here since I didn't want 7 to start asking questions. Plus I had to carry my staff, too."

"No problem," I replied, undoing my front and stuffing the spool inside. "Besides, I'm sure there's thread where we're going." I gave him a boost up to the hole and climbed through it after him.

"Looks like you're ready, then," 12 said. "OK. 5, I'll hold onto you and you can hold onto 9. And then, we're off."

**~Soulbound~**

The flight to the crawlspace was shorter than I expected. And when we landed, I was finally able to see where 12's number was; each digit in her number was painted onto the sides of the metal poles that you could see if you stood behind her when her wings were folded.

"OK, boys," she said. "When we get in here, I want you to follow my lead for the first few minutes. Also, 101 tells me you've been looking for a few friends of yours. Before we go in, I have to tell you that…they're here."

"What?" 9 and I said together. 12 nodded.

"Please, don't be angry. I would've told you sooner, but I was worried about what 11 would do if he found out that I was telling you this much. Anyway, yes. They're all here. 2, 4 and 6, I mean."

"Really?" I gasped. 12 nodded again.

"Yes. Before I came to get you two, I told them all what the crack was. 2's looking forward to seeing you again, 5. And 9, 4 wanted me to let you know that she left to go find 6."

"She did?"

"Uh-huh," 12 confirmed. "And from what they've told me, they've both been in love with the other for quite a long time. They got married sometime during those weeks I spent at the library. Also…"

"What?" 9 asked. 12 looked at him long and hard before answering.

"4's going to have a baby," she said at last. "6's baby." 9 opened his mouth to say something but 12 put up a hand to silence him. "Now, I know you're probably going to want to question them about it, but I think you should hold back on that for a while. OK?"

"OK," 9 reluctantly agreed. 12 nodded once and led us inside. We walked through a "corridor" for a little while, and then 12 pushed open the "door" to a large communal room.

"Oh, 12," said a male voice. "You're back. Did you bring them?" 12 took a few steps into the room and bowed before responding.

"I sure did," she said as she straightened herself. "9, 5, you can come in now." She moved away from the door to allow us into the room, which was illuminated brightly by about ten candles.

"Ah," a male with five red buttons on his body said as he approached us. "9, I presume?"

"Yeah, that's me," said 9, taking the man's hand and shaking it. The man had been smiling widely when he'd first come over, but now that smile had started to bend downwards a little.

"In the future, you will address me as either '11' or 'sir'. Is that clear?"

"Oh, quite clear. No problem," 9 replied. And when he saw the look on 11's face, he hastily added, "Sir."

"Much better," said 11, the smile returning to his face. His eyes flicked to his right and he jumped a little, as if he hadn't seen me standing there. "And who is this?"

"I'm 5, sir," I said. 11 nodded but he didn't hold out a hand for me to shake like he had with 9. After his nod, he looked over at a kid in a bandana with a bored expression on his face (11's face, not the kid's).

"13, would you be so kind as to get those three from their rooms?" he asked. The kid clicked his heels together and saluted in response.

"Aye-aye, cap'n!" he said. He skipped off down the corridor and came back thirty seconds later. Five seconds after he came back into the room, three familiar people came in behind him.

"4!" gasped 9. The missing twin's face lit up and she scurried over to her adoptive father straight away. He took her into his arms and I could see what 12 had been talking about; 4's belly was swollen a bit and the way it pressed against 9's zipper kinda looked weird.

"Hey, 6," 9 said when he looked up and saw the stripy seer standing there. 6 fiddled with his key and stared at the floor for a moment before looking up.

"Hello, 9," he said, his half-whispering voice for once not shaking. 4 pulled away from 9 and stepped to one side so 6 could get closer to him. 9 smiled down at him and 6 smiled back before enveloping him in a bear hug.

"Ouch, 6," 9 gasped when he was finally released. "You're stronger than you look." 6 chuckled a little, still smiling widely.

"Sorry," he apologised. He spotted me then and I got a little nervous as he started to walk in my direction.

I hadn't ever really gotten to know 6, the main reasons being that I'd always secretly thought that there was something wrong with him and I wasn't very good at paying attention to the ravings of a madman. But, in spite of all that, I'd always liked to look out for my little brother. I mean, I wasn't brave enough to stand up to 8 like 14, but I _could _usually cheer the little guy up when he was upset after a beating.

"Hi, 5," 6 said when he wasn't far from me. I smiled nervously in response.

"Hey." I'll be honest. I was feeling a little disappointed in myself for not trying harder to engage him in conversation. Though what killed me was the way he let me hug him right after I spoke, as if I'd never treated him like an outcast.

But 6 has been prone to acting like a little kid at times, and that's just how little kids love, isn't it? Unconditionally. He even hugged me back, which was more than I deserved.

Then again, I don't see how any of this should've been a surprise. 6 has never been angry with or borne a grudge against anyone. Not even 1 or 8, when they've both given him enough reason to.

After 6 went and started talking to 9, someone came and stood next to me but I was too busy watching the other three to notice.

"Good to see you again, my boy," said a familiar voice to my left. I spun round in the direction of the voice to see 2 standing there.

"You're looking well," he said. I couldn't help myself. I was so happy to see him, I just started crying and sat down on the floor. And the whole time I sat there blubbering like a baby, I felt 2's hand patting my shoulder.

"47, you're all right!" a woman suddenly yelled. I raised my head and stood up just in time to see a green-skinned woman (most likely the owner of the voice) scoop up a purple-haired girl and clutch her tightly, as if she could never bear to let the kid go.

The woman wearing a red scarf next to the two looked familiar.

"101, ma'am-" 2 started to say before she cut him off.

"Ugh! 2, how many times do we have to have this conversation?" she asked rhetorically, sounding frustrated as well as rude. "Don't call me 'ma'am'. Enough with the 'ma'am', OK? Do I look like a 'ma'am' to you?"

"Well, you're not a 'sir'," 9 pointed out. "Unless, of course, there's something you're not telling us. And if that's the case, can we keep it that way, please?" The frustrated look on 101's face disappeared as she looked over at him.

"Well," she said, "I didn't think _we'd _meet again. Would you happen to be looking for your daughter and that old guy? I think his name was…um…what was it?"

"1?"

"1! Yes, that's him! And your daughter, her name…her name is…16! Yes, that's it! 16!"

"Do you know where they are?" 9 asked. 101 nodded and looked at 11.

"I'm just going to take these two with me for a moment," she said to him. "When I come back, I'll bring their friends with me too."

"And why would you do that?" 11 asked with a blank expression.

"I figure that since the secret's out, the rest of their clan might as well know," 101 explained. 11 stared into space for a moment and then nodded. 101 nodded in return and spun round to 9 and me.

"All right," she said. "I'll take you to them."

**1's POV**

"It's getting dark out," 16 said as she covered the entrance to the tunnel.

"Shouldn't you leave that open?" I asked. "There's a lit candle in here and if we don't keep the place ventilated, it'll just burn up the oxygen faster." 16 stopped and looked at me.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said. She slid the roof tile to one side until about a quarter of the hole was uncovered. "That oughta do it. It's not that big of a hole, but it should at least stop us from suffocating. Besides, our only other option is to put out the candle."

She walked over to one of the spools of thread lying on the floor, stood it up and sat on top of it. She gazed at the gap over the hole and sighed.

"I wonder if 101 got 47 back to her place yet," she said. She glanced at me. "Do you think she's really on our side?" I shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. But when I told her I'd stop her if I found out she was playing tricks, I meant what I said." 16 went back to staring at the hole.

"1?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever miss 14?" I stiffened and she seemed to sense this, even though she wasn't looking at me.

"I'm sorry," she said, keeping her eyes on the hole. "I shouldn't have asked you that. Forget that I ever said anything."

"No, no!" I assured. "It's fine. It's just…"

"What?" she asked. I sighed.

"If I had the chance to see her again, I'd probably take it but…part of me doesn't want to."

"Oh." 16 took off the ribbon around her waist and started playing with it. "Does…15 ever get upset about her mom?"

"Well, I assume she does. I mean, she's never told me otherwise. Why don't you ask her yourself?" 16 shrugged.

"I don't think she likes me. She never really talks to me, and when she does, it's usually just when she wants something."

"Well, why don't you try talking to her sometime?" I suggested. "Maybe she'll surprise you."

"I did try that a few times. First two times, she said she was busy. Third time, she got mad and said that I bug her too much."

"Would it help if I had a word with her?" 16 put up a hand.

"Wait a second. What's that noise?" I listened and heard a scuttling noise on the surface. The roof tile was pulled away from the mouth of the tunnel and three figures jumped into the hole.

"1? 16?" a familiar male voice asked.

"Dad!" 16 cried out. She got off the spool of thread and rushed towards him.

"Hey, kiddo," 9 said. "How's things with you?"

"I'm fine. So is 1."

"Good to hear," said 5. 101 stepped into the light and pulled something out from behind her back.

"Miss 16, I have your sword for you," she said.

"Hold on a minute," 16 said, remembering something as she took it. "If we left the factory, where would 65 be likely to check first?"

"Probably the library," 101 replied.

"Then we've gotta get back," said 5. 101 nodded and looked at 9.

"Well, 9," she said, "you're the leader of this clan and since 11's not here, you're in charge of me for the moment. What are your orders?"

9 smiled in determination and screwed the light bulb into his staff, turning it on.

"Let's roll," he said.


	21. Chapter 21

**101: "You hate my sister. Why?"**

**8: "We have a history!"**

**SPOILER ALERT: When the Seamstress presented 8 to the Machine, he spotted 65 and silently begged her for help when they made eye contact. But, instead of helping him, she just turned away with her arms folded and left him to his fate.**

…**Who the hell describes the time some blonde chick left them to die as "We have a history"? Sure, it's true but it's STILL stupid!**

**And who the hell came up with that ridiculous li-oh, you had to go there, didn't you? It was me. Oh, what a twist (!).**

**Also, whilst writing 101's speech, I listened and hummed along to the "Hidden Highland" music from "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon". You see, when I was mulling over what it would be like before I wrote it, I was reminded of the song and it served as the inspiration for the speech in a way.**

**8, 101, 9 and 65's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 21

**8's POV**

It was dark and quiet when I went to sit at the entrance to the library. There was no moon, and the clouds overhead made it impossible to tell what time of night it was.

Sometimes, I wonder if the events of this particular night would've played out differently if I hadn't gone outside at this moment.

This was another reminder (God, I hate those things) of the night I was captured in 1950. It was also a reminder of the first time I talked to 101.

I sat down and wondered what my little pixie was doing right now.

Wait! Did I just call 101 "my little pixie"?

Why would I even think about calling her something like that? Why-oh! Oh, no!

If I was calling her something like that inside my head, it meant that I'd fallen in love with her, didn't it?

…Yup, I was afraid of that. Then again, I guess I should've realised that when I told her I liked her at the river.

"Funny, you never struck me as the kind of person to suffer headaches related to deep thinking." I opened my eyes and looked up at the sound of 15's voice. I didn't notice that my hand had been on my forehead until I put it down.

"It's not a headache," I replied. "But, yeah. I _am _thinking about a few things." I shuffled over a bit so she could sit down, but she just shook her head and went on standing.

"What were you thinking?" she asked. I shrugged and briefly wondered if she'd laugh if I told her.

"That I'm probably in love with a girl." 15 stared dumbly.

"If it's me, I regret to say that I'm not on the menu. First of all, it's because of the fact that you're too old for me. Second, it's because of my general disdain for…well, pretty much everything about you."

"Dis-what?" I said, and then I cursed myself for doing that yet again.

"It means that I can't stand anything that makes you who you are," she explained. "More or less." I folded my arms and growled quietly.

"You think you know me, 15," I said. "But you don't. But I know you. I know you've got nothing…because you threw away the one person who gave a shit. Just like your father."

"How-How dare you?" she gasped, her voice rising in anger. "How can you say that? That's my mother you're talking about!"

"Well, sorry!" I snapped. "But maybe you need to think more carefully about what you say to people, too! And, just so you know, I wasn't talking about you when I said I was probably in love!"

15 glanced at something and then looked at me with a narrow-eyed glare.

"Then, who were you talking about?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Just some girl. You don't need to know." I stood up and then, 15 looked over at the gates and stiffened.

"Uh-oh…8…" she said, starting to back away.

I followed her gaze. Walking across the courtyard were two of our kind with a machine behind them. I recognised the red-eyed woman in an instant when I looked into her eyes for the second time in my life.

**101's POV**

There was a scream coming from the direction of the library. We all stopped and I only realised that it was an order and not a cry for help when it stopped.

"65…" I murmured too quietly for anyone to hear. I raised my voice before I addressed the others. "Come on. We're almost there, so let's pick up the pace."

When we arrived at the library, the courtyard was in chaos. The white woman who was married to 9 was fighting against 84 and 1's daughter was having a bit of trouble holding her own against the Croc.

I had just enough time to see the red glow of 65's eyes before she shoved 1 into me and we both fell onto the dirt. She tried to push past 9 and 16 too, but 5 quickly loaded an arrow into his crossbow and shot it at her (though it wasn't entirely clear _where_ she got shot).

A second after she went down, 8 came up behind her and I realised that he'd been chasing her. 65 did not get up when she heard his approaching footsteps, but she _did _turn her head and glare at him.

"Nowhere left to run," he said, his voice dangerously low. "You'll have to stay and fight now, you bitch." 65 laughed.

"So, you're gonna make me pay for what I supposedly did to you?" she asked, getting to her feet. "It wasn't me who took your soul, 8. It was my master. So, are you going to fight me because I'm a supporter of the Machine? Or are you going to punish me for a crime I did not commit?"

"Back off, 65," 9 said. "We don't want to fight."

"Don't want to fight? Oh, what a shame. But, frankly, I'm not surprised. After all, you shouldn't be so uncouth as to fight a fellow machine."

"OK, now you're just talking nonsense," said 9. "We're not machines."

"Oh, yes, we are," said 65. "I'm actually amazed that you didn't figure it out for yourselves before now. This clan, 11's rebel force, my brother and I…we're all machines too." I took the opportunity to push 1 off me and get up.

"Everyone, please," I said. "Don't believe her lies." 65 chuckled and faced me.

"Oh, so _I'm_ the liar?" she asked. "Well, then, 101, what about you? Does 8 here know that you were created by the Machine? Like me?" My eyes widened. I could feel my pulse pounding in my brain.

"101, _what_ is she talking about?" 8 said to me. I couldn't bring myself to answer him or even look at him. I didn't want to have the memory of what his face looked like at this moment inside my head.

"How did you know?" I said slowly to 65. Then, my voice rose and my non-existent blood boiled. "How did you know?"

"Oh, it was nothing, really," she laughed. "When the Croc captured 11's bastard, I squeezed it all out of her while it was getting the other two. She told me how you had been acting as a spy for 11 and how you'd been spending time with the fat moron over there. I must say, it all worked very well to my advantage."

"How could you do something like that to 47?" I asked angrily. "She's just a child. You are a sick woman, 65!" By now, the fighting in the courtyard had stopped and everyone was listening to and watching us argue.

"You wanna make something out of it?" 65 taunted me. She took hold of the end of my compass and pressed its point to her chest. "Now's the time if you want to run me through." I shook my head and pulled the compass away from her.

"As much as I hate you, I just can't do it. It doesn't matter what we see each other as, 65. Allies or enemies, we call the same machine 'creator'. We're sisters, whether we see our creator as our master or not."

"Once a shaky wimp, always a shaky wimp," she mused, closing her eyes and shaking her head with a small smile. "But, since you're going to kill me, I will show mercy today." She took a step towards the gate where 84 and the Croc were waiting. "Move out!"

I waited until they'd disappeared into the night before I spoke.

"Well, it looks like I've got a lot of explaining to do," I said nervously. "May as well get started."

**9's POV**

7 and 15 lit a few candles inside the globe and then took their seats on the floor with the rest of us. 101 stood in front of the twins' scrapbook and began her speech.

"First off, I think I should address what 65 said about us being machines. Technically, she _was _correct, but it was only partly true. What she said, I mean. The scientific word that best describes what we are is 'homunculi'. That's 'homunculus' in the singular context, by the way. It's hard to explain, but if you want a more simple term, I'll have to go with either 'rag dolls' or just 'dolls'.

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering how my creation came about. Well, soon after the Machine sent out the Winged Beast, it created another machine known as the Air Beast. Whether it survived the destruction of the factory or not, I don't know. But what I do know is that it had the ability to determine what the structure of an object was simply by scanning it with its eyes. Moments after it was brought to life, it found the body of your friend, 2.

"As you may have guessed, the Air Beast scanned 2 and copied his structure and design. It passed on this information to its creator, and from then on, the Machine began to make rag dolls similar to those in this clan along with the other machines. 65 was the only one left in the factory when it was destroyed, but she survived the explosion by hiding under a metal pot with 8's body."

"Well, that would explain how he wasn't incinerated when he got me out of that hole," said 5.

"Yes," said 101. "Anyway, 65 dug her way out of the rubble and followed the Machine at a distance up until the point when it was destroyed. She wandered the Emptiness for days afterward, and a week after the Machine's destruction, a thunderstorm started up. That was when 65 found me hiding in a flooded ditch. She carried me to safety and right after that, we met 84. The three of us wandered alone until we found a group of five rag dolls; 11, 12, 13, 18 and 36. They were living in a crawlspace under a destroyed house, and since no one out of the eight of us had a name, we helped each other work out numbers for ourselves.

"After that, we sat down and tried to figure out what to do. 65 wanted to repair the Machine's body and take revenge on this clan for killing it. 11, however, had witnessed the Machine creating the Seamstress. You know, the snake machine with 2's corpse on its tail. Because of this, he wanted to make sure that the Machine stayed dead. Naturally, 65 didn't take this very well and she stormed out, taking 84 and me with her.

"All of this happened over the course of three years, from 1950 to 1953. It was 1954 when 65, 84 and I were out for a walk one day. We walked past a clearing that was slowly becoming a meadow again. I got distracted and by the time I remembered that 65 and 84 were supposed to be with me, they were long gone. I called and called, but they didn't come back. I wandered aimlessly in the Emptiness for what seemed like forever before I happened to find the home of your scientist."

"You were at the Scientist's house?" I said, my eyes widening. By now, my suspension of disbelief had been thrown into a burlap sack and beaten to death with sticks. If this kept up, I was going to need some serious therapy the first chance I got.

"Yes, I was," 101 confirmed. "It had just started to rain when I got there, so I climbed the steps and went inside. I decided that since I was there, I might as well explore. That was how I found the workshop with the Scientist's body inside. I spent ages reading through notes, blueprints and a journal dating from April to September of 1938. There was also this textbook that explained how a human could transfer part of their soul into a homunculus. The language in this book was new and strange to me, and although I could only translate bits and pieces, I could understand it. That should've got my attention right there because again, the language was new and I should have been unable to read it.

"When I returned to 65 and 84, we talked about using the soul of a member of this clan to resurrect the Machine and about repairing its body. I kept quiet throughout the whole discussion, but inside, I was screaming. I wanted no part in the plan, so I snuck out while 65 and 84 were asleep and headed for the Machine's body. I sabotaged the wiring that had been lucky enough to survive the explosion. That should've stopped 65 from being able to resurrect our creator. But I hadn't counted on her resourcefulness. Now I realise what a fool I was for underestimating what she was capable of.

"Near the end of 1959, I finally remembered 11 and his group. Once again, I snuck out while my siblings were asleep and set off for the crawlspace. 11 wasn't too happy to see me when I got there, and he assumed I was a spy for 65. But 36, who had recently conceived a child with 11, interceded for me and 11 gave her permission to show me the ropes in the crawlspace.

"36 explained to me that they'd all formed a rebel force dedicated to stopping anything 65 might do to resurrect the Machine, and that 11 was their leader. She said that the motto of their group was 'Saoirse', Irish for 'Freedom'. Likewise, the crawlspace had been dubbed 'An Áit de Saoirse', Irish for 'The Place of Freedom'. She also said that up until the night of her child's conception, she'd harboured a secret love for 11. Unfortunately, he'd told her he couldn't stand her being there and she'd given up on him."

"Looks like 1 wasn't the only leader in this city who couldn't keep his pants zipped," 7 whispered to me. 1 and 15 both pinched her legs and she said, "Ow!" 101 cleared her throat loudly.

"Are you quite finished?" she asked the three of them. 1 and 15 took their hands away from 7's legs and tried to look innocent (it didn't work on 101).

"Mmm-hmm," 7 said, rubbing the spots where she'd been pinched.

"Good," replied 101. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes! There was one problem with the whole pregnancy thing for 36; neither she nor 11 knew anything about it. I couldn't remember most of what the notes had said because it'd been about five years since I'd found them, but I could still remember where the house was. I led them there and they studied the notes extensively while the others in the crawlspace worked on their child's body. In spite of the hardships they faced during the pregnancy, they managed everything in the end and at the start of 1960, their daughter 47 was born.

"I went back to the crawlspace almost every time I got a chance after this. I also went back to the Scientist's house quite a lot and continued to study his notes until I knew quite a few of them off by heart.

"Then, last year, in 1964, that sister of mine started acting a little strangely. I got a feeling that she was getting ready to do something and went to the crawlspace to share this with 11. I told him that I didn't want to be a part of 65's schemes anymore, and that was when I started working as a double agent for him. Just days later, my siblings and I found a grave at a remote spot. It wasn't part of the funeral pyre that I'd seen outside the Scientist's house, so 65 determined that whoever was inside it still had their soul."

"14," 1 gasped quietly. He was saying it quietly on purpose but unfortunately, 101 had ears like an elephant when it came to this sort of thing.

"Yes, that's right," she confirmed. "Your little friend. Anyway, 65 kept up her strange behaviour for a few more days after we found the grave. At least, 84 told me that she was doing this. I didn't see much of it for myself because I'd just started my surveillance sessions here at the library. And yes, that means what you think it does; 11 asked me to observe you guys.

"Then, one day, 65 dragged me and 84 out to where the Machine's corpse was. She said we were going to repair it, and she practically forced the two of us to help her to do that over the next three months. I was always tired when we stopped and went home to rest each night, so I couldn't go out and warn 11 about what was going on. I couldn't even do that or surveillance the library during the day because I was always busy. Plus, I was worried about 65 getting suspicious because in those days, she watched me like a hawk.

"At some point while the repairs were going on, I found 1's body. I knew I couldn't risk 65 seeing him, so I hid him nearby and went about the work as slowly as 65 would approve for the rest of the day. When it was time to go home, I let the others go on ahead and then went back for 1 once they were a significant distance away. I carried him to my hidey-hole. I decided to keep him there until the repairs were done, and then I would take him out and bury him.

"When the work was done, 65 set off to locate the talisman and found the library. She led 84 and me in an attack there and soon, the talisman was in our possession. We went back to 14's grave spot and while my siblings took her soul out with the talisman, I went off to my hidey-hole. I had decided that it would be a good time to bury the body, you know. But, when I returned to the hidey-hole, 1 was gone."

101 took a breath and looked at me.

"9," she said, "do you remember anything strange happening the night before I took the talisman?" I nodded.

"Yeah," I replied. "I had a dream and 1 told me about what was going to happen. Or, at least, he gave me a few hints. Then, I woke up and 7 and I saw a green light from under the bed. I reached under it and pulled out the talisman. The symbols were flashing green and it was really hot, so I dropped it and the symbols glowed yellow." 101 nodded.

"I can remember reading about something called 'the Other World' in that old textbook I found," she said. "The book said that since the talisman could take part of a human's soul and give it to a homunculus, it could also take part or all of a homunculus' soul and give it to something else. But, if the whole soul was taken, then it could remain inside the talisman until released. It would then fly into the sky and onward to the Other World. This, in turn, would cause a rainstorm if the sky was cloudy."

"So…this 'Other World' is basically 'Rag Doll Heaven' or something?" 15 asked.

"Hmm…yeah. I guess you could say that," 101 replied. "Though the book also said that a departed soul residing in the Other World could return to its body if the Celestial Beings governing the Other World decided that this was right. If they did, the talisman would glow yellow to signal the return of the departed soul.

"Now, this is just a theory, mind. I think that when 65 found the location of the talisman and her plan really got into motion, the Celestial Beings sensed what was about to happen. So, they decided that it would be right for those who died in 1950 to return to Earth. And that's why they came back to life."

"I don't think that that's just a theory, 101," I said. "I actually starting thinking the same thing when you mentioned the talisman glowing yellow." 101 chuckled half-heartedly.

"Great minds think alike, I suppose," she said. "Anyway, as I was saying, 1's body was missing and I realised that in all the excitement, I hadn't had a chance to tell 11 what was going on. I went to the crawlspace to explain my absence over the past few months and just as I finished, 12 came in with several strangers. One was one of the twins from this library, 4. The other two were the remaining Lost Ones, 2 and 6.

"12 said that she'd been flying over the canyon below the destroyed bridge and spotted the three trying to climb out. The rope holding them had snapped and she'd just about managed to save them from falling back into the canyon. 4 had fainted immediately after their little near-death experience. 2 still had the cloth from the end of the Seamstress' tail stitched onto him, along with a chest wound just below his ribcage. And 6's spine was broken and his legs had snapped at the knees. But they're all fine now.

"…Well, sort of. I mean, they're not hurt but…it's 4. She's…expecting, you see."

A few people in the room murmured and 7 started to get up.

"Now, see here. You-" she started to say before 101 put up a hand.

"Just…hear me out," she said slowly. "Please." 7's mouth dropped open and she stared in 101's direction, looking for a retort.

"But…" she stammered. I reached up and took hold of her arm.

"Sit down, 7," I ordered firmly. She looked at me hesitantly and sighed before reluctantly sinking back onto her butt.

"Thank you," 101 said. "Now, I know you're all going to have a lot of questions, but I'll just cut to the chase here and now. The thing is that a long time ago, 4 fell in love with 6 but they decided not to take it seriously due to a few…problems. And then, 4 left the cathedral where they lived. They've decided to take their relationship seriously this time, and they were married at the crawlspace sometime during 12's stay at the library. And now…they're going to have a child."

101 inhaled and exhaled slowly before carrying on.

"Now, it's to my understanding that 11's been wanting to meet all of you for a long time. He figures that there's strength in numbers and that since we're all fighting for the same cause, we should join forces. I told him that when I go back to the crawlspace, I'd bring you all to meet him. But, if you don't want to come back with me, that's fine. I'll leave and tell 11 that you're not interested. You can decide amongst yourselves what you want to do next, and I'll come back in here for your answer at dawn."

101 started towards the exit but I got to my feet and grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked her. She blinked.

"I'm going to keep watch by the entrance," she replied. "If I see those two or a machine, I'll call you." I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think that's the whole reason why you're going outside." She sighed.

"I just…need some time alone, you know."

"Why?" She sighed again.

"Well, for starters, today's been pretty hectic and I'm very confused." She closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead, moaning softly. Then, she opened her eyes again and took her hand away from her face. "I just need a chance to think things over."

I nodded and said, "OK."

And then, 101 was out of the globe.

**101's POV**

It was close to dawn when I took out my flute and started to play it. I heard footsteps approaching as I finished playing my favourite tune.

"That song you're playing." I opened my eyes and looked in the direction of 8's voice. "It's very…sad."

"It's a lullaby," I explained. "36 used to hum it 47 when she was a baby." I stared down at the flute on my lap, and I think 8 got a little worried when I stayed silent for a long while.

"You OK?" he asked. I scooted over to one side and let him sit before I answered.

"Say something," I almost growled. "Like what you think. I don't care." 8 sighed and shook his head.

"I don't know what to say, 101. It was awful. Listening to what you had to go through all these years." We looked at each other. "I feel like I've added more fuel to the fire by not being clearer with my feelings." I pouted and folded my arms.

"I already know how you feel about me. You've made it pretty clear that you like me, but only as a friend."

"I lied." I scoffed quietly and shot him a weird look.

"You want this to be a love story?" Before 8 could answer me, a bright white light caught our eyes and we looked towards the gate. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon.

"Sunrise," I said as we both stood up. "It's another beautiful dawn."

"That's very poetic," 8 commented. I shrugged.

"I can remember when I left the factory and saw the sunrise for the first time. The light…it seared me. It was painful somehow and yet, I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." I glanced at him. "I think…maybe, the sunrise is one of the reasons why I want to stop the Machine. Seeing the dawn of my first morning…it shaped my whole perspective. I don't even wanna _think _about how I might've turned out if I had never seen it."

"Deep, man." I shrugged again and then remembered something. I looked at 8.

"You hate my sister," I said, half-questioning and half-stating the fact. "Why?"

"We have a history!" he said gruffly, folding his arms.

"Oh, OK," I said. I knew there was more to this than he was admitting, but I didn't pressure him. I just went back to staring at the sun (not directly, obviously).

"Sun's up," I said, noticing how it had climbed a little higher in the sky since the last time I'd looked at it. "Well, I guess I better get back to the others and see what their answer is. Coming, 8?"

"Uh…sure," he shrugged. "You go on ahead and I'll meet you inside in a minute."

"OK." I started to head back inside but then, I hesitated in front of the wall of books that blocked the entrance a little.

"101, are you OK?" 8 asked.

I whipped back round, sprinted towards him, stretched up (I was just a little bit smaller than 8) and gave him a small peck on the lips. Then, before he could react, I dashed around the wall of books and didn't stop until I'd reached the pool of water near the globe.

**65's POV**

I growled as I ran my fingers along the stitches on my right arm. It was the same spot where I'd gotten scratched by that rogue machine, and now it had been torn open again by the arrow that one-eyed loser had shot me with.

I took my telescope out of my backpack and focused it on 101, who was sitting on the broken-off hand of a statue. Then, the fat moron came out and obscured my vision of her for a few minutes before he sat down next to her.

I growled again. I had been right; he _was _the reason why 101 had betrayed us. It made my non-existent blood boil the way she casually talked to him. Even if she _was _aware that he could easily crush her skull if he wanted to, she didn't show it.

101 wasn't afraid of him at all, and it made me angry. She'd just met the guy about a month ago, and she'd known me all her life. And yet, she was more afraid of me than she was of him, even though he was significantly stronger than I was.

This made me even madder. How dare he? How dare he be able to converse with her so easily when she rarely did the same thing with me without looking nervous? How dare he make my little sister betray me? How dare he take her from me?

They stood up and continued talking. At some point, 8 crossed his arms and looked annoyed. For a second, I thought 101 had said something he hadn't liked and made him angry, but a few seconds later I was proven wrong.

Right before she was about to go inside, 101 jumped on 8 and gave him a kiss on the lips. Then, she ran inside the library as quickly as she could.

I lowered the telescope. My eyes widened. My mouth dropped open.

And that was when my whole world came off its hinges.


	22. Chapter 22

OK, I know I kinda hinted at a 65x101 pairing in the last chapter. But now, I am here to clear up THAT misconception.

**65 and 101 are NOT lovers; they are siblings and nothing more. 65 just thinks that 8 is the reason why 101 betrayed the Machine and she is NOT happy.**

**Hey, if your sister betrayed you and your cause for some unattractive fat guy, you'd be pissed off too!**

**Also, 65 is a little worried about 101 betraying the Machine as this sort of decision will almost certainly result in the Machine wanting to kill her.**

**Finally, I'm sorry if I made 65 sound a little possessive about her sister. Then again, considering the nature of their relationship (which is almost borderline abusive at times), I can't say I'm surprised that I did that.**

**4, 15 and 101's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 22

**4's POV**

"I can't believe this, 47!" 11 bellowed. "I expected more from you, and you betrayed us all! You betrayed 101! Do you have any idea what the Machine will do to her if it finds out she's been working for me?"

"It's not her fault!" 18 interjected. "65 squeezed it out of her!"

"That's no excuse!" 11 snapped at him. "If 47 was more worthy of being my heir, she would've died before passing information to 65!"

While this shouting match was going on, 47 was standing a few centimetres away from her father's chair, her head bowed and her hands folded solemnly. You could tell she was feeling very sorry for herself.

I guess her mother got tired of it all because eventually, 36 intervened in the argument.

"Stop shouting, both of you!" she yelled. "47 is just a child, 11! She's obviously gonna crack under that kind of pressure! So, just leave her alone, OK? Don't you know that only cowards pick on the weak?"

"Not to mention, all this fighting isn't good for 4," 6 added.

"Yeah, that too!" said 36. 11 stared at her and 18 quickly decided to run-I mean, hobble back to his seat while his superior was distracted. 47 stayed where she was and shuffled her feet, her dreads slowly swaying around her head as she did so.

The baby stirred and I winced silently as she kicked me hard on the left side of my stomach. 6 noticed this and knelt beside the sofa, rubbing the spot where she'd kicked.

"It's all right, 10," he whispered soothingly. "The fight's over." He looked at my face and I stared back at him glumly. "What is it?"

_I'm worried, 6_, I flickered. _I'm worried about what 3 will think when he sees me like this. And I'm especially worried about what 7 will do._

"So, you think she's going to make you get rid of it?" he asked.

_Sort of. If she does, I don't think even 9 will be able to stop her because once 7 makes up her mind about something, she rarely changes it. Want proof? After 5 lost his eye, she looked at 1 and pretty much decided that he was a bad egg there and then._

"But that's just 1. We're not talking about him; we're talking about 10. And you once said that the decision to keep the child was yours and yours alone."

_I know. But worst of all, I'm worried that 10 will think I'm embarrassed by her if I worry about of these things. I don't want her to feel embarrassed or that I'm ashamed. I want her to feel happy and loved and accepted._

"I'm sure she does, 4," said 6. "And you shouldn't worry. I'm sure 3, 7 and the rest will want her to be kept as much as we do." I looked down towards my feet, rubbed my stomach and shuddered.

"Are you cold?" I hadn't noticed 12 coming over until I heard her voice, but I looked up and nodded just the same. She took hold of the blanket by my feet and pulled it up to my chest.

"11," 13 said as he walked in. "101's back, and she's got a whole crowd of people with her." 11 stared into space for a moment and then looked at him.

"All right," he said. "Send them in." 13 nodded and moved the roof tile door out of the way before standing back. 6 got to his feet as 101 and the others in our clan came in.

1 came in with an unfamiliar scar-faced girl beside him. She had a red scarf around her neck like 101, a backpack draped over one shoulder and was carrying a star screwdriver in her right hand.

47 finally looked up at this point and her face lit up when she saw the girl. Then, she wasted no time in racing over and asking tactless questions.

"What's your name?" 47 squealed. "How did you get that scar? You look like Mister 1. Are you his daughter? What's this? A weapon? You can't stab anything with this!"

As 47 took the girl's screwdriver and started examining it (while still talking), the girl reached over and put her hand over the child's mouth.

"OK, OK," she said. "Slow down. You sound like me when I was your age." Several people in the room immediately cracked up when she said that, even 47 (though her laughter was slightly muffled).

"Well, 9," 11 said to him. "Now that we've all had a good laugh, I'm guessing that these people are all members of your clan?" He got out of his chair and approached them all.

"Yeah, that's right," 9 said, forgetting to say 'sir' once again. He beckoned to 7 and 16 and they stepped forward. "This is my lovely wife, 7, and our daughter, 16."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss 7," 11 said. He took her hand and tried to kiss it but lucky for him, 7 pulled it away just in time.

"Me too, but I prefer to skip the formalities when I meet someone," she said stiffly. 11 nodded in response to that and turned to 16.

"How do you do, young 16?" he asked, extending a hand for her to shake. She took hold of it hesitantly and stared nervously at 11 as he pumped her arm off.

"Uh…how-how do _you_ do…uh…sir?" she asked. 11 released her hand and looked at 9.

"You have a very beautiful wife and child, 9," he said. "I am very honoured to meet them both."

"Um…thanks, I guess," 9 replied. "Now, um…do you think you and I should discuss what we should all do next? Or something?" 11 nodded and started to walk away, holding his hands behind his back.

"Yes, I think we should," he said thoughtfully. He looked round the members of his group. "Now, I'm sure most of you are aware that this clan will be staying here as our guests for the time being. During their stay, they are to be treated with the utmost respect. Is that clear?"

There were robotic nods from all of his group members. Well, except for 47. But she decided then that it would be a good time to get the hand of the scarred girl away from her face.

"Hello!" she yelled, though I still couldn't really comprehend her muffled words. "I can't breathe!" The girl looked down.

"Oh. Sorry," she said as she withdrew her hand and clenched it in front of her chest. 11 turned back in their direction when he heard all this.

"9, you and I will counsel with 101 in my quarters," he said. "47, would you mind showing the others where the spare bedrooms are?"

"OK," said his daughter. She swivelled round and gave the clan members a quick once-over. "Please, come with me."

I twisted round so that I was facing the backrest of the sofa, the swell of my belly pressing against it. I pulled the blanket up under my chin and squeezed my eyes shut, keeping them closed until 6 whispered that the others were out of the room.

The baby stirred again and I rubbed my stomach as I opened my eyes. I'd let her down.

_I know, 10_, I thought towards her. _I'm sorry._

**15's POV**

"And this is _your_ room, Miss 15," said 47, opening the door next to Dad's. I stepped inside and set my backpack down.

"Uh…thanks," I said. "And don't call me 'Miss'." 47 wasn't listening. She was too busy jabbing imaginary machines with my screwdriver. I chuckled and took it off her.

"Be careful with that," I cautioned. "You'll poke someone's eye out." 47 just giggled.

"You're funny, but cool. When I grow up, I wanna be just like you, 15."

"Hey, you shouldn't wish your life away like that. Enjoy your childhood. Trust me, you'll miss it when it's gone."

"Well, OK. Bye-bye!" She skipped off round the corner and I nodded at her back before I went inside my temporary room.

I laid my screwdriver down beside the bed and lifted my backpack up onto the book mattress. I reached inside and pulled out part of a comb, a mirror shard that I rounded with 16's machete and a polished blue marble. Then, I picked up what was lying at the very bottom of the bag.

"What is that?" I jumped and looked over my shoulder to see Dad standing in the doorway. I gave him a brief glare and set the object down on the bed.

"Don't you ever knock?" I asked without looking at him. I continued to stare at the object as he walked over.

"You didn't answer my question." I sighed and picked up the object, depositing it in his hands. He looked at it and then at me with a weird expression. "Is this…a frog?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Mom made it for me while she was pregnant with me. I've had it since I was a baby."

The frog in question was a small green plushie with a yellow patch on its belly. It had tiny "X"-shaped stitchings for eyes and a red, painted-on line for a smiling mouth. Its arms and legs were shaped in a similar way to mine, except with hands and feet at the ends. It wasn't very well constructed, but you could tell that Mom had been trying to make it special for me.

"Did…you have a name for it?" Dad asked. I nodded slightly.

"I called it 'Mr. Froggy'. I always used to sleep with it when I was little, and when I was scared, Mom held onto me and I held onto it. It started looking old and beat-up when I was six, kinda like it does now. Then, Mom died two months after my ninth birthday and I lived out in the Emptiness for a while, like I told you. The nights were long in those days and I missed her so much, so for the first time in years, I held Mr. Froggy."

"Did it make you feel better when you held him-it?" I shrugged.

"He wasn't real," I said. Dad nodded and handed the frog back to me. I clutched it to my chest, sat on the end of the book and let myself fall backwards with my eyes closed, sighing as I did so. I heard Dad sit down on one corner of the book.

"15?"

"Mmm?"

"If it's possible, I don't want you to fight against the Machine when some of the others go to take back the talisman." My eyes snapped open and I jumped up.

"What?" I snapped and shrieked at the same time. I whipped round and gave Dad a surprised glare.

"I thought you might say that," he said. "But I'm just worried, 15. Getting yourself hurt is one thing. Losing your soul to the Machine is another."

"Even if I do end up losing my soul, at least it'll mean that Mom won't have to be alone in the Other World once we get her soul back from the Machine," I replied flatly, facing the wall on the left of the door.

"How can you say that with a straight face?" Dad sounded furious, surprised and astonished all at the same time. "Do you honestly think your mother would wish for _that_?"

"Mmm." Dad let out a frustrated sigh and walked over. He grabbed hold of my shoulders and turned me round, making me drop the frog in the process.

"Now, 15, listen," he said gently but firmly. "You have to stop this self-loathing thing, all right? It's scaring the living daylights out of me, and 9."

"What self-loathing thing?" It was probably my blank face and the uncaring edge to my voice that made his eyes narrow then.

"You always act so reckless," he explained. "It's like you're ready and willing to charge at death head-on."

"If it's the right thing to do, then I will." Dad growled in frustration and shook me a few times.

"It's not!" he yelled. "It's not, all right? You're missing the point!"

"Let go!" I yelled back, shoving him away and rubbing the spots on my upper arms where he'd grabbed me. "You're not the boss of me, so don't tell me what to do!"

"I may not be able to control you since you're an adult!" Dad snapped. "But I'm still your father and-"

"I wish you weren't!" I screamed, cutting him off. "I wish you weren't my father! You don't even act like you are, anyway! You were never there when I was growing up! In fact, the only reason why I'm related to you was because you couldn't wait until you were married before you fucked my mom!"

I panted and stared defiantly at his shocked face, my throat prickling with pain after my little outburst.

It was only when he turned and started to walk away that the full awfulness of what I'd just said crashed over me like a giant wave. I rushed after him, my right hand outstretched.

"Dad, wait," I started to say. "I'm sorry. I-"

"Don't call me that!" he yelled, turning and shoving me backwards onto my butt. He stared down at me with a face like thunder for a few minutes before talking again.

"You're not my daughter," he said in that quiet, dangerous voice of his. "And I hope you _do _end up losing your soul. That should teach you a lesson, you stupid girl."

He stormed out and closed the door behind him, leaving me sobbing on the floor in the dark.

**4's POV**

"I thought I might find you two out here." 6 and I looked up at the sound of 12's voice. "3, 7 and 9 are looking for you. Do you want me to let them know where you are?" 6 looked at me and I nodded.

"Yes, OK," 6 said to 12. "Send them out." She nodded and disappeared back into the crawlspace. A few seconds later, 3 came running out, straight at me.

_4! _he cried in flicker speech. _Oh, 4! I thought I'd never see you again!_

_3, it's so good to see you! _I sobbed back in flicker speech. _I'm so sorry!_

_It's OK_, he flickered. _I stopped wanting apologies and explanations a long time ago. By the time 101 told us where you were, I just wanted my sister back._

We threw our arms around each other and held that position for a long time, silent sobs racking both of us. And all the while, my swollen stomach was pressing against 3's flat one so when 10 suddenly kicked, he felt it too.

_Oh, yeah_, he flickered. _You're pregnant. _He hesitantly touched my stomach, as he'd been forbidden to do so by God himself. Then, after a few minutes, he took his hand away and replaced it with his left "ear" (after moving his hood out of the way, of course).

"Well, I'm glad to see you two have made up." 3 stood up and stepped aside so 7 could come and kneel in front of me. 9 stood back with him and 6.

_Hey, Sev_, I flickered.

"It's great to see ya, 4," 7 replied. Then, she looked down at my stomach and then at my face again. "How's the kid doing? And how far along are you anyway?"

_Wait, you mean you're OK with it? _I asked in surprise.

"Of course!" 7 chuckled. "How could I not be?"

"Funny stuff there, 7," 9 chuckled. "You didn't seem so happy about it when 101 said 4 was pregnant."

"I don't know," replied his wife. "I guess I didn't like the idea of going from being 4's adoptive mother to her kid's adoptive grandmother at the time." She laughed a little and smiled jokingly at me. "You're gonna make me a grandma so young?"

"9's a grandpa, too," 6 reminded her. "Don't forget that."

"Grandpa?" 9 scoffed. "You cannot be serious! Grandpa? What? Am I supposed to get myself a cane and a pair of slippers now or something? What will the kid think? A young guy like me-its grandpa!"

"It's not 'it', 9," corrected 6. "It's a girl."

"A girl?" 7 gasped. "Oh, God. 9, it's a little girl."

"Oh, wow," said 9. "16's gonna be over the moon when she hears about that. She always wanted to make dresses and all that stuff for a baby sister. Now, she can do it for a baby niece."

He came and sat down on my left and 7 sat on his left. Then, he put his arms around both of us and pulled us close. I let my head rest on his right shoulder while 7 planted a tiny kiss on his left cheek. Meanwhile, 3 patted 6 on the back to say "congratulations" and 6 smiled his "thank you".

"Well, isn't this nice?" said 2 as he suddenly walked out and stopped near us. "Instead of fighting, everybody's hugging everybody."

"Hi, 2," said 6. "What brings you here?"

"12 sent me out," replied 2. "She said you wanted to see me, 9. Is there a problem?"

"No," said 9. "I just wanted to ask you a few things. First off, 7 and I would like to know how far 4 is in the pregnancy."

"Oh, about a month or so," said 2. "And 10's body is almost finished, as well. A few little adjustments here and it'll be all ready for her when she's born."

"10?" said 7.

"That's her name," 6 told her. There was a moan from the entrance and I looked up to see 1 standing there.

"Oh, great," he grumbled. "I suppose all this talk about babies means that even when the Machine is defeated, I'll _still _be having trouble sleeping at night."

"Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" 7 barked.

"7!" 9 snapped at her. 7 blinked and slowly lowered her head in shame.

"Anyway, do you need me for something, 9?" asked 1. 9 shook his head and looked over at 2. 1 followed his gaze and his eyes widened for a second when he spotted his brother. 2 turned and just smiled at the other elder.

"1," 9 said, "if I recall correctly, you promised me that you'd say something to 2 when we found him again." 1 smiled slyly and folded his arms, one eyebrow raised.

"Oh, you think I need to be coaxed?" he asked.

"1," goaded 9. 1 sighed and looked at 2.

"I don't usually do this, 2," he said. "So, you better listen carefully because I'm only going to say this once; I am sorry."

It didn't sound like a proper apology to me. Or 9, apparently.

"1!" he said.

"All right, all right!" 1 shouted in defeat. "I'm sorry, 2. You were right and I was wrong. I shouldn't have sent you out, and I know now that you were just trying to help us all. I'm sorry that I was too blind to see that. I only hope you can forgive me."

It still didn't sound like a very good apology, but 2 laughed and went to stand next to 1.

"Of course, I can," he said, playfully slapping 1 on the back. "I always knew you had a softer side underneath that tough exterior, you big old grump." He laughed again and this time, 1 joined in.

I exchanged glances with 3, 6 and 7. It had been a long time since any of us had heard 1 laugh like that. It almost felt like centuries had passed since the last time he had.

As they stopped laughing, 101 crept out of the crawlspace entrance.

"Where're you going?" 9 asked. 101 turned her head towards him, a half-asleep look in her eyes.

"Hi, guys," she said, as if she hadn't seen us before 9 had addressed her. "Just goin' for a walk. To clear my head, you know."

"Oh, OK," said 9. "But are you sure you're up for that? You look beat."

"I guess," replied 101. "Breaking people out jail and giving long expository speeches and fallin' in the river really takes a lot out of ya. I'll be all right, I'm sure." She took a few steps to her right and tripped over 1's feet. He just about managed to catch her before she smashed her face on the ground.

"Good God, woman," he said as he pulled her back up. "You're asleep on your feet. Right now, you're not fit for a haircut, never mind a walk."

"But she's bald," 6 pointed out. But, before 1 could think of a comeback, 6 suddenly stiffened and started staring straight ahead. Another vision, probably.

"What did you see?" 9 asked him. 6's head was robotic as it turned to look at him. And then, suddenly, he gave a loud cry and rushed at 101, grabbing onto her forearms.

"Wh-What is it, 6?" she stammered as his face trembled centimetres from her own.

"She is awakening!" 6 wailed. "She will be gone, soon! You must be careful! It is waiting for you! Use the mirror!"

At this point, 6 flopped down onto his front and there was a slight but painful twang from inside my stomach. My face contorted and I rubbed my stomach as 2 and 9 rushed to 6. 101 started backing away from his limp form, looking quite frightened.

"What do you think he was talking about?" 7 said to her. 101 just shook her head and ran round the corner. 7 looked at 9.

"And what do you figure _that _was all about?" she asked. 9 shrugged and gave 6's shoulders another shake.

"6, can you hear me?" he said. "Say something. 6!" I got up then and raced to 9's side as fast as my bump would let me. Just as I knelt on the ground next to him, 6's eyes snapped open and he smiled.

"Oh," he said brightly. "Hello, 9. Hello, 4. How are you this fine morning?"

"Are you OK, 6?" asked 9. 6 stared up at him with confused eyes.

"Why? Did something happen? I blacked out there for a second." Then, he seemed to remember what he'd said before he'd passed out. "Oh."

"What happened in that vision, 6?" asked 9. 6 just blinked in response and 9 and I stood back so he could get up.

"N-nothing," he said softly. "I've had worse visions than that. It's nothing to be bothering yourself about, really. But, still…" He gave 1 a long and hard stare.

"What is it?" 1 asked.

"Tell your daughter," 6 breathed, "'be careful'." He went inside the crawlspace and I noticed my twin standing there. I hadn't noticed him come over, but I didn't care at this moment. Remembering the twang in my stomach when 6 had collapsed, I leaned towards 3.

_Do you think 6 could pass his visions on to 10?_

**101's POV**

I knelt beside the river and splashed water onto my face three times. I opened my eyes and stared down at my reflection. The white girl on the surface of the water stared back at me with a frown and sad eyes.

This was me; 101, the girl who had betrayed her family. And the last time my reflection in the water had looked like this, I'd been a totally different person.

The last time I'd seen my own reflection look like this, I'd been waist-deep in a ditch full of dirty water. I'd been unarmed and naked; no scarf, no compass, no waistband, no flute, no shoulder ropes, no numbers. I'd been 101, the lost little homunculi uncertain of her fate and purpose.

As I pondered all of these things, I remembered what 6 had said and briefly wondered what he'd meant and what I should do.

I stood up and headed back towards the crawlspace. Something told me that it would be better to get someone else's opinion on 6's warning.

_And I know just who to ask_, I thought. _Once I've gotten some sleep, I'll go talk to him._


	23. Chapter 23

Well, here you go; 15 making her dad a new cape, 101 briefly turning into a bit of a cocktease and a little peek into 84's mind.

**Barn Owl Girl, sorry if part of this chapter sounds a bit like I copied "Seven Days". The orb-thing that was attached to 7 in that story was meant to take her soul, but the marble-thing that the Croc attaches to 65 is meant to act somewhat like a pheromone and increase her aggression.**

**You guys better prepare yourselves, because the next chapter is where we REALLY start surging towards the end of the story and the real action begins.**

**Finally, the Freedom Punks (11's group), 101, 65 and 84 were all created by the Machine, so they can understand the machines it makes when they make a noise. This works kinda like 3 and 4's "flicker speech".**

**15, 84 and 101's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 23

**15's POV**

I woke up in total darkness, and then I remembered that I was in the crawlspace.

_Must've dozed off_, I thought. _I think I literally cried myself to sleep there. _Then, I remembered why'd I'd been crying and pushed myself up off the floor.

I found it hard to keep my balance and my whole body was aching from sleeping on dirt. After twenty-four plus years of uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, I should've been used to that by now, but I'd become accustomed to sleeping on a book recently.

I could hear light snoring through the wall to my left, so it looked like Dad was asleep. That meant I'd have to wait for a while before I went to talk to him, not that he'd listen to me if I did, anyway. If and when I went, even if he listened, there was a very slight chance that he would forgive me, and I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

Oh, man. If only Mom was here. She was always good with stuff like this, and in this kind of situation, Dad would listen to her if not anyone else. But now, she wasn't here to solve my problems for me. I'd have to do it myself this time.

I walked towards the door and opened it, squinting as light from the hall flooded into the room. I spotted two candles on either side of the bed and a few matches in one corner, so that saved me from wishing I had lights in my eyes like Mom.

Once the candles were alight, I stubbed out the match and shut my bedroom door. I scooped up Mr. Froggy and set him on the bed before tidying my backpack, mirror, comb, screwdriver and marble into a corner.

In another corner, there was a large piece of folded notepaper and a red crayon. I was guessing that whoever had prepared the guest rooms for my clan had wanted to make sure that we all had whatever we might need during our stay. The only things I hadn't found waiting for me so far were needles and thread.

I picked up the notepaper and crayon. It was time to rethink my ideas. I stood before the notepaper and wrote _Things I Need To Do Before The Year Is Out_ at the top of the page. That was the closest I'd ever come to saying "Before I die". I briefly fiddled with the buckle on my upper strap and got on with the list.

_1. Apologise to Dad._

_2. Free Mom's soul and say goodbye to her._

_3. Learn more about everyone in the clan._

_4. Learn how to sew properly._

_5. Stop acting like a bitch whenever 8's around._

_6. Lay off the emotional constipation and antisocial behaviour._

_7. Be as good a mentor as possible for 47._

_8. Break addiction to fighting and "living on the edge"._

_9. Do something special for Dad._

I stopped there for a moment because my arms were hurting (writing can be very difficult for homunculi, don't forget). As I let the crayon fall to the floor, I looked over the things I'd just written.

There were nine items on the list, and although they'd been written in no particular order, apologising to Dad was definitely at the top of my agenda. For now, at least.

I tapped my fingertip on my chin for a minute or two, wondering if there was anything I'd missed or could add. And then, it struck me.

I picked up the crayon and added another item to the list;

_10. Say "I love you" to Dad for the first time._

**~Soulbound~**

I sat on the end of the bed for about a quarter of an hour, staring at the paper on the floor in front of me. After fifteen minutes, I gave up and folded the paper before stuffing it into my chest. I figured that if I couldn't come up with anything new, I may as well stick with the ten items I already had.

As I snapped off the pointy end of the crayon and threw it in my chest too, I wondered what I was gonna do about Item 9. I fastened the catch on my upper strap and glanced at the blanket on my bed. It was blue, and quite a dark shade of it. As I looked at it, an idea suddenly crept into my head and I picked it up.

I positioned the mirror against the wall that the bed had been shoved up against. Then, I removed my scarf and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, holding it together with one hand at my chest. I moved closer to the mirror and the blanket trailed on the floor behind me like a cape. I smiled proudly at my reflection.

"Bow to the queen!" I said pompously. Something in my reflection's face as I spoke reminded me of my father, and I remembered 5 telling me that Dad had worn a cape once upon a time. I let the blanket fall to the floor and smacked my right thigh.

"That's it!" I yelled triumphantly, briefly forgetting that Dad was dozing in the next room. I covered my mouth right after I yelled and listened as he snorted a little in his sleep.

"Leave my radishes alone!" he snapped sleepily. Then, there were no sounds except for the resumption of the light snoring. I giggled a bit.

"What kind of dreams are you having, Dad?" I shook my head at it all and picked up the blanket.

I would use the blanket to make him a new cape, and then I could use it to take care of both Item 1 and Item 9 at the same time (and Item 10, if I was lucky). But the thing was that the blanket trailed behind me for about three centimetres, even though I was only about half an inch shorter than Dad. And besides, I had nothing to fasten it with.

The blanket still in my hands (and my scarf still on the floor), I opened the door and stepped out into the hall. I blinked a few times until my eyes got used to the brighter lights of the hall and headed in the direction of the Common Room. I just hoped that either 12 or that green woman (who I assumed was 47's mom) was still awake.

When I walked into the Common Room, I was amazed at how different it looked from the last time I'd been in it. None of my clan members were in it, and only about three or four out of ten candles were still burning. The only Freedom Fighters in the room were the green woman and some peg-legged dude, the latter of which looked up when he heard me come in.

"Howdy," he said. "Whaddya need?" I hesitated.

"Well," I said, "do you think you could tell me how long it's been since 47 showed us to our rooms, for starters?"

"About fourteen hours, I'd say," replied the woman. "I'd also say that the two of us and you are most likely the only ones still awake." I turned my head towards her.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"36."

"36, OK. Erm…would you happen to have any pins in your room? Or something like a pin, at least?" 36 thought for a minute, tapping her chin with her index finger.

"I think I might have something like that in my room. Come with me and we'll take a look." She sidestepped past me and I followed her back into the bedroom corridor. We passed a few doors before she opened one and we went inside.

"Hand me that match, will you?" she asked. I hurried to do what she'd said and she lit a candle beside the door. It was big like the ones in the Common Room and gave off a brighter light than the two in my room.

"What do you need this for, anyway?" 36 asked as she started searching through an old jewellery box in the corner. I shrugged.

"I'm making something. And I think I'm gonna need some scissors, too." 36 looked over her shoulder and nodded at me before continuing her search. Finally, she came away from the box with a pair of nail scissors and something round and shiny in her arms.

"Will this do?" she asked, holding the round thing out to me. I stared at it.

It was a small, silver, oval-shaped brooch which, thankfully, still had its pin attached to it. It was perfect.

"Thank you," I said, putting down the blanket and stuffing the brooch into my chest with the paper and crayon point. Then, I picked up the blanket and looked at 36.

"36?"

"Yes?"

"How tall are you?"

"Erm…six inches. Why?" She was six inches, like Dad. If the cape fitted her, it would fit him. I handed her the blanket.

"Can you wear this like a cape for a few seconds?" She looked at the blanket and nodded before setting the scissors down. Once she was holding it together in front of her chest, I picked up the scissors and started cutting.

5 had told me that Dad's old cape had been red and torn off one of the Chancellor's flags, so the ends had been jagged. The blanket was blue, but I could still cut it into a pointed pattern at the ends and make it more like the piece torn off the flag.

When I was finished cutting, I took out the brooch and pinned it in place at 36's chest. I stood back and she twirled and turned around for a few minutes. I stared in disappointment when I caught sight of the end of the cape.

The jagged pattern I'd cut out there was uneven in places; some points were too long, others too short.

_Oh, well_, I sighed internally. _I guess that even if I learn to sew properly and become an expert at it, I'll never be a fashion designer._

"Is this meant to be a present for someone?" 36 asked, facing me again. I nodded. "OK. Then, what it needs is wrapping paper." She took off the cape and handed before heading back to the box.

When she came back, she had a folded-up brown paper bag and a spool of red thread in her hands. She set those on the floor and took the cape back, folding it up with the brooch in the middle.

Then, she unfolded the paper bag and cut off one side. She wrapped the blue bundle in this and tied it with two pieces of the red string.

"Wow," I said as she passed her handiwork to me. "Thanks, 36." I opened my chest again and popped the parcel inside. As I closed myself up, I caught sight of my reflection in a nearby hand mirror and chuckled, patting my stomach.

"It looks like I've got myself a little 15 Junior in there," I said. 36 laughed.

"Well, you're right there. You _do _look pregnant," she agreed. "So, your name is 15, then?" I nodded.

"Yes, it is. Thanks again, 36. I'll be seeing you." I headed for the door as she gave me a brief wave. Once I was out in the hall, I turned and smiled at 36 before closing the door. Then, just as I stepped away from her door, I collided with someone and stumbled backwards.

I banged my head and the top of my spine on the wood before sliding down and ending up on my hands and knees, my stomach underneath me. When I opened my eyes, I saw Dad sitting on the ground in front of me, rubbing the left side of his head.

"Sorry, 15," he said.

"Oh, it was my fault," I replied. "I wasn't looking where I was going. Did you need to talk to 36?"

"No. I was looking for 9 because I wasn't sleeping very well. Have you seen him?"

"He's in bed, according to 36."

"Oh. All right." Then, he hesitated for a moment. "I suppose I owe you some sort of apology for what happened earlier." I shook my head.

"No, no. If anyone should apologise, it's me." I sighed. "I'm sorry, Dad. I shouldn't have got worked up about nothing, said those things. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, 15," he replied. "I'm sorry, too." He held out the hand that wasn't touching his head. "Here, let me help you up."

"It's cool," I assured. "I got it." Dad got to his feet and I pushed myself up. He spied my stomach.

"Oh, good Lord," he whispered. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?" I asked. I had a pretty good idea about what he was thinking, but for some reason I didn't act on it. Not until he came over and put a hand on my stomach, anyway.

"Wha-Dad, I am _not _pregnant!" I almost shrieked, pulling away a little. "I'm just…carrying a few things around." To prove my point, I undid my upper strap and poked around inside my chest until I found the crayon and pulled it out.

"Oh," Dad said. I thought I saw a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes, but I couldn't be sure. "Well, erm…good to see that you're doing fine. I'll…see you later, all right?"

"Yeah," I said, putting the crayon back into my chest. "See you later. Have a good night, Dad." He nodded and stood to one side so I could pass. I shot him a small smile and started to head back to my room.

"15?" he called after me. I turned.

"Yes?" I asked. Dad hesitated before answering.

"Be careful." And with that, he walked away into the Common Room.

**~Soulbound~**

The candles were still burning and my scarf was still on the floor, but I didn't care at this moment. I opened my chest for the millionth time that night and removed everything inside. I stuffed the parcel into my backpack and buried it under the other stuff in that corner just in case. Then, I unfolded the notepaper.

I set it on top of the book and flattened it as best I could. I grabbed the crayon and drew a line through Item 1, even though I felt that my apology had been pretty half-assed. Once I'd drawn the line, I tossed the crayon away (not caring where it landed), folded the paper and shoved it between the pages of the book mattress.

I curled up on top of the book and drifted off into a slightly less uncomfortable sleep.

**84's POV**

I was woken by a low growl.

"65?" I mumbled sleepily. "That you?" I blinked and realised that I was facing the wall that my bed was against. I twisted round and gasped.

101's not-slept-in bed lay crushed beneath the hind legs of the Croc, whose front end was hunched over 65's bed. I got up and stumbled over. There was a hole in 65's chest over the bottom of her ribcage. In the Croc's left paw was what looked like a small silver marble with a tiny cylinder-like shape on its bottom.

Before I could get a better look at it, the Croc picked up the marble with two "fingers" on its right paw and carefully jammed the cylinder end into the tiny hole at the bottom of 65's soul container. Her body jolted in response, but her eyes remained closed.

_Wow! _I thought. _I always knew 65 was a heavy sleeper, but she must've _really _been out to not feel _that_._

"What was that?" I demanded. "What did you do to her?" Even when the Croc threatened me with a growl for being so rude to it, I just glared back. With one "finger", it gestured the hole in 65's chest.

_Fix that!_ it growled. _And don't you _dare _to touch anything else!_

Then, without waiting around to see what I would do, the Croc slithered out of the room. I glanced at 65's chest again briefly before diving for my threads. I selected an orange one so she (hopefully) wouldn't notice the scar, a black one for the thin layer of Styrofoam under her skin (which was supposed to stop water getting into her circuitry) and then prepared a needle.

As I closed the hole in the Styrofoam layer, I thought about the marble. Sure, I knew that 65 had a small hole in the bottom of her soul container (every homunculi did), but the cylinder had happened to fit the opening perfectly. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. That much I knew.

I finished closing the hole in 65's chest and then pulled her blanket up under her chin before getting back into my own bed and closing my eyes.

**~Soulbound~**

I don't know if it was a result of the marble or the chest wound or both, but 65 slept all the way through the next morning. I didn't want to wake her. She needed to rest after having her circuitry violated and then being healed.

I busied myself making my bed, getting rid of the remains of 101's bed, tidying up the playing cards and polishing and sharpening the blade of our spears.

Finally, in the middle of the afternoon, 65 woke up.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," I greeted her. "How was your sleep?" She didn't answer. She just leapt out of bed and grabbed her spear.

"I'm going to find 8," she said, noticing my confused expression.

"You mean, the fat guy that you think made 101 betray us? Why?"

"Because I have to end this once and for all," she growled in response. "He must die."

"65, I think 101's betrayal has gone to your head," I stated. "You're being ridiculous." My sister ignored me and kept talking.

"I _will _fight him, no matter what it takes. I'll persuade him if I have to." 65 ran to the door and looked back at me briefly. Then, before she dashed out, she said something that made my non-existent blood run cold.

"8 must suffer to his last breath." I watched her go before I grabbed my own spear and went after her.

I didn't know then that this would be the last time I would ever see my bedroom.

**101's POV**

I slept for a long time; for all of the day I brought 9's clan to the crawlspace, for the entire morning of the next day after that and then for two hours into the afternoon of that day. At least, that's what 16 told me.

_Oh, no_, I thought. _Look at all the time I have wasted. _I left 16 standing by the sofa in the Common Room and dashed into the bedroom corridor. I spotted 1 coming down the hall and put an arm out to stop him.

"Sorry, 1, but do you know where 8's room is?" I asked. 1 raised his left arm and pointed.

"Go down that hall and turn left," he directed. "It's the first door on the right." I nodded.

"Thank you." I put my arm down and raced in the direction he'd pointed. As I skidded to a halt outside 8's door, I knocked on the tile covering three times.

"Who is it?" he asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"It's the pizza man!" I said sarcastically. "Who the heck do you think it is?" I heard footsteps and then 8 pushed the tile out of the way with a magnet in his hand.

"Come in," he said. I ducked under his arm and I focused my gaze on the magnet as he moved the tile back over the doorway.

"What's that for?" I asked. He looked at me and I continued. "I mean, I've seen you take it out before and I just wanted to know what you used it for." He struggled with his conscience for one point five seconds before answering.

"It's kind of hard to explain," he said. "Let's just say that before 9 came along in 1950, I used this as a band-aid solution since I didn't like talking to the others about what ticked me off about them in those days. Using it was also what I usually did in my spare time." I blinked.

"Were you using it just now? Before I came in?"

"Uh…yeah. But this time, I decided I would use it just this once."

"And…how did it go?" He shrugged.

"I guess it didn't feel the same as before. Probably because I haven't used it for a long time. But it was a fun trip down Memory Lane and the magnet can still be useful." To prove his last point, 8 picked up one of his knives from the floor, attached it to the magnet and then hung the magnet on a small hook sticking out of the back of his shoulder pads.

"How did you even use it for…the other thing?" I asked. 8 shot me a weird look as he took the magnet and knife off his back.

"I don't know," he replied. "I just…held it above my head, I guess." I stood there for a minute, pondering. By now, my curiosity was peaked and I'd realised that there was still a lot that I didn't know about 8 but wanted to know. Though it shouldn't be that hard to get him to tell me things because, for reasons I couldn't begin to comprehend, 8 always seemed to loosen up and talk more when I was around.

"I heard that you were very strong," I said suddenly. "Physically, I mean. But do you think you could still be that strong if you were just…I don't know, play-fighting?" 8 shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. "Probably." I laughed a little and crouched down, starting to crawl around him like a cat.

"As the lioness stalks her prey," I said with a fake British accent, "she detects a hint of fear." 8 smiled roguishly.

"This should be interesting," he said. I leapt towards him but he stepped to his right and dodged with minimal effort. I landed flat on my chin and twisted round to see 8 standing over me. We both laughed briefly and I pulled myself back up into a crouch.

"Who says I need to rely on strength alone to win a fight?" he asked. "Whether it's a real one or just a play-fight." Then, he seemed to think of something. "This won't involve actual eating, will it?"

"Quiet!" I hissed. "The lioness is getting impatient."

"Oh, right," he said. "Mustn't piss off the lioness."

"Silence, prey." I lunged at him again and this time, he didn't dodge. I tackled him to the ground, pinning down his arms with my hands. He smiled up at me.

"Hey, you're good," he commented. I shrugged as best I could without moving my hands. If I were human, I would've been blushing like mad right about now. We'd never been this close before, even when he'd felt my hands or I'd sobbed into his stomach beside the river or when I'd given him a fleeting kiss.

Our chests were pressed together and I could feel the slow, steady throb of his heart opposite my own. I couldn't help myself as I bent my head down and crushed my mouth against his, my eyes closing as I did so.

I moved my hands off his arms and onto the floor. I felt his hands on my shoulders and I worried for a second that he was going to prise me off, but he didn't.

He didn't resist at all. He kissed me back so naturally, and I was instantly craving more.

Oh, God! I couldn't do this! I just couldn't!

I felt one of 8's hands come away from my shoulder but I quickly reached up and grabbed his wrist. I pulled my face away and opened my eyes. I spotted the hand I had a hold on touching the knotted strings at the front of his shoulder pads. I raised my head and found his eyes.

"Stop trying to take your clothes off," I ordered.

"Sorry." The tile door moved and we both looked toward it.

"Hey, 8," said 7 as she popped her head round the door and pushed her helmet up. "47's lost her dagger. Have you seen it?" Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped to the floor when she saw us. 8 chuckled nervously.

"Hey, Sev," he said. In response, 7 closed her mouth and her eyebrows bent down.

"Ew!" she said stiffly. Then, she left quickly without pushing the tile back into place. I pushed myself up and stood back so 8 could get to his feet.

"Sorry about that," I said. He shrugged.

"Hey, it's no problem. Really." And then, after a brief silence, I heard a painfully-familiar voice cry out.

"All right, 8! Come out of there!"


	24. Chapter 24

OK. Before we begin, let me just assure you that I'm not about to kill off the only thing that's stopping 1 from turning back into a self-absorbed twat. Even I'M not THAT foolish. 15 will be back before the story's over.

And yeah, I kinda cut down on the action between 8 and 65 in this chapter. Though there is an interesting moment where 8 has a chance to finish 65 off but, ever the idealist, 101 is not about to give up on her sister and tells 8 to piss off by jumping in the way.

And I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I decided to cut it in half. So, sorry.

Oh! Just a heads-up, 1 and 7 are kinda OOC from here on out.

15 and 101's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!

_Chapter 24_

15's POV

"Hey, 15!" 47 called. "Come here! Come here!" I blinked awake and rolled off the book onto the floor.

"What is it?" I asked sleepily.

"Come see! Come see!" she replied. I heard her running footsteps heading towards the Common Room and then I got to my feet. I picked up my scarf and wrapped it around my neck, securing it with a tight, thick knot as usual.

I walked into the Common Room to see a small group of people gathered around a sofa, where some curly-haired stripy dude and a pregnant-looking girl were sitting. I remembered 101 mentioning two people called 4 and 6, and I decided that this couple must be them.

"15, over here!" 47 squealed when she spotted me. I gave her a brief wave and walked towards the sofa.

The first ones I recognised were 5 and 12, who were standing by the right arm of the sofa with their hands entwined. Close to them was some old guy who was holding something small and limp in his hands. 3, 7, 9 and 16 were standing behind the back of the sofa. And beside the left arm of the sofa were 36 and her daughter.

"What did you want me to see?" I asked the kid. 47 just smiled and pointed at the floppy thing in the old guy's hands. He smiled when we made eye contact.

"Hello there," he said. "I don't think I've seen _you_ around before."

"You thought right," I said. "I'm 15, 1's daughter." The old guy nodded.

"My name is 2," he said. "Now, you were wondering what 47 called you in for, if I'm not mistaken. Well, I've been making a body for 4 and 6's child over the past month or so. And I finished it last night. Do you want to see it?"

"Sure," I replied. 2 nodded again and held out the body in his hands. I took it into my own hands and studied it carefully.

The face and head were grey and covered in a mop of pale-yellow hair. The eyeglass casings were made out of gold, either to give the face a bit more colour or to match the gold casing of the glass in 6's left eye.

The torso was light blue, the limbs were black, and when I turned the body over, I found the numbers "1" and "0" drawn on the spine with white paint.

"It's nice," I said as I handed it back to 2 and turned to the couple on the sofa. "It looks like a girl. Is that what you're wanting to have?"

"Well, we weren't really sure if we should make the body look like a boy or a girl," said 6. "We would've been happy with either, you see. So, we tossed a coin and it landed on tails, so we chose a girl."

"Oh, OK." I gave them a brief smile and moved towards 36. "Would you happen to know how long it's been since we arrived yesterday?"

"Hmm," she said. "About twenty-four hours, I'd say." 47 cocked her head to one side in confusion.

"Mommy, how come you can always tell the time?" she asked. 36 shrugged

"I don't really know," she replied. "I guess I've just always been good at keeping track of the time." 47 just nodded briefly and walked a little closer to me.

"You're Mister 1's daughter, aren't you?" she said. I nodded. "Then, who's your mommy? Did she stay behind at your library when you guys came here?"

"No, but she's the main reason why I want to defeat the Machine," I replied. "She passed away fifteen years ago." 47 frowned sympathetically.

"I'm sorry," she squeaked. "I didn't mean to say that. But if she's dead, why would you wanna defeat the Machine because of her?"

"47, why do you always have to ask people such personal questions?" sighed her mother.

"Sorry, Mommy. I just find it a little bit weird that 15's mother is the reason why she wants to defeat the Machine."

"47, you're being really rude again. _Again_. Like you always are. Now, apologise to 15. Now." I threw up a hand at this point.

"Hey, there's no problem, 36. I don't mind her asking questions, really." I looked at 47's "puppy-dog" eyes and chuckled. "Well, I _did_ say that you sounded like me when I was your age and from the looks of it, I _was _correct." 47 blinked.

"Do you ever miss your mother?" she asked. I chuckled again and ruffled her dreads.

"All the time," I replied. "I mean, she died fifteen years ago so it's easier for me to talk about it now. But I still miss her these days. Know what I'm saying?"

"I guess so." I smiled at her and patted her head before leaning forward.

"You're a good kid," I whispered. "And I hope you stay that way. I mean, living in this Emptiness, that sort of thing doesn't usually last long. Remember; things aren't always what they seem around here. So, you can't take anything for granted."

I stood up and went outside. As soon as I did, I stiffened. The air around me felt tense and charged, and since 6 could have visions according to 5, I wondered if this was what he felt right before he had one.

Hey, don't forget; I'd grown up in this Emptiness. If something about the environment changed, I could practically feel it.

"Are you OK?" I whipped round to see 7 standing there. As I stood staring at her, I saw her spine rack with a few quick shudders. I wasn't deterred by this, however, because I was used to it myself. 7 had lived out in the Emptiness for a long time, too.

"I don't know," I replied. "Something just doesn't feel right."

"No shit," said 7. Then, she sighed. "Look, kid, I'm sorry for what I said the other day. It…wasn't right."

"It's OK," I said, though I was pretty sure that 9 had sent her out here to apologise for that. "I'm actually surprised that my dad wanted to be associated with me in the first place. You know, considering his personality and the fact that I'm a bastard."

Surprisingly, I actually liked the way the word "bastard" sounded when I used it to describe myself. I guess I thought it sounded tough.

"I met your mom about three years after I left the cathedral for the library," 7 said suddenly. "I mean, I'd known her before that but it was the first time I'd seen her since she'd left herself."

"How old would I have been?" I asked. 7 thought for a minute.

"Well, I left about two years after your mom, so I'd say you were five when I met her."

"What happened?"

"I was coming home from hunting the Beast one night and we bumped into each other. It was the first time we'd seen each other in years, so there was a lot of that 'Oh, my God! I thought you were dead!' stuff at first. And after that nonsense, she came back to the library with me.

"She didn't stay longer than a couple of hours, but the twins and I were happy to see her again and vice versa. Of course, she wanted to know why I'd left and I told her what your dad had done after she'd taken off.

"It was probably because she'd been raising a child for five years herself, but she didn't seem happy with the fact that the twins had come with me when I'd gone rogue. She quickly softened up when they told her that they had plenty of books to keep them inside, though."

"Did she ever mention me?"

"No, she didn't. But she seemed even more determined to not go back to the cathedral after I told about what your father had become. I could tell she was a bit at war with herself over going back, though. After a while, she left and went back to that railway car you guys were living in." She sighed. "I never saw 14 again."

"Oh." I blinked at her and sighed. "No matter how bad things got, she never stopped trying to make life even a little bit better for us. She always used to say…'I love you more than air'." I wanted to ask her something I needed to know the answer to, but I was afraid to in case she got mad. 7 noticed my hesitation.

"What is it?" she asked. I blinked at her again.

"7, I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand what my father did to make you hate him so much."

I expected her to say something like "Would you like the full list or just the Top 10?" Instead, she just chuckled lightly.

"Hate?" she said. "I don't hate 1. I mean, I don't particularly like him but…"

"But what?" She took a breath before answering.

"I guess your dad _was_ a little braver during the first few weeks of his life. I used to think that everything he'd been through before we got to the cathedral started to get to him eventually. I was never sure about it, though. We met several days after my creation.

"I'd just been sent out by the Scientist, and though I'd only been alive for approximately seventy-two hours, I was already becoming accustomed to fighting for my life in the streets. You had to do that if you wanted to survive in those days. That's when I saw one of the Scientist's other creations for the very first time.

"I'd only had a few brief conversations with the Scientist before I left him. The main one was about my purpose, which was to defend the others the Scientist had made. During the first few days of my life, I wandered alone. There were times when I worried that I'd never find anyone who looked like me. I can't tell you how relieved I was when I spotted one."

"Was it my dad?" I asked. 7 shook her head.

"No, it was 2," she replied. "He and 6 had been hiding in a destroyed house nearby, and he immediately invited me to stay when I approached. So, I went back with him and rested for a while before I went back out again. Finding 2 had given me hope that there were more of the Scientist's creations in the area, you see. That's when I found your father.

"While I was out, a whole group of human soldiers came charging at some of those machine with the long legs. I hid in a soup can to avoid getting trampled or shot and then I saw 1 running through a maze of both human and machine ankles. He passed by the can and I pulled him inside. And then, he started freaking the fuck out, of course.

"I knew things would go pear-shaped if a machine heard him, so I covered his mouth and said that he had to do what I told him if he wanted to survive. So, of course, he agreed to this to ensure his own survival and we ran outside. It took forever, but we finally made it back to 2's place. Your dad must've been exhausted because he passed out once we were inside.

"1 never thanked me for saving his sorry arse, but he _did _find an old bullet shell and started wearing it on his head. He also started bossing people around and this was the point where he pretty much proclaimed himself leader and took charge. Right after that, we met 8." 7 looked at me. "Should I stop?"

"If you want to," I said. "I mean, you never struck me as one of those people who absolutely loved talking about their past."

"Well, technically you're correct," she replied. "That was a good game of 'I Remember', though."

"What's 'I Remember'?"

"It's a game that a few members of the clan used to play when we first moved into the cathedral. If two or more of us were bored, we'd sit down and discuss memories of what our lives were like before we found each other. It was usually a pretty fun game and by the time I left, I knew all of the stories off by heart. Well, except for 1's. He _never _played, even after 14 hit the road."

"Let me guess; he never even mentioned his backstory to Mom in private?"

"Yep." Then, she cleared her throat. "Look, you can't mention what we spoke about to anyone, OK? Not even 47 and especially not your dad. I've got a reputation to uphold, you know."

"Yeah, I know. In the end, a man's reputation is all he has. Or a _woman's _reputation, in this case. Anyway, that was a good talk. Think we should do it again sometime?"

"Uh…sure. What the heck?"

"Cool. See ya round." I smiled at 7 as I passed by her and started to head back to my room.

_Well, I didn't exactly learn more about _everyone _in the clan from that talk_, I thought. _But it's a start. I should probably go look over the list again, now. And I may as well see what book I'm sleeping on while I'm at it._

~Soulbound~

As it turned out, the book was "Of Mice and Men" by some guy called John Steinbeck. It was a very good book but it took me until the middle of the afternoon to finish it. Though that was probably because I had nothing to weigh the pages down with except for my body.

Once I was at the end of the book, I decided that it was high time I gave Dad the cape. I pulled the parcel out of my backpack and stuffed it in my chest before I stepped outside my room, taking my screwdriver with me in case I had to get into action in a hurry.

I heard footsteps and when I turned, 8 was charging towards the Common Door. I started to step into his path.

"8, what's going-?" I didn't get time to finish my sentence. He pushed me to one side and I collided with the wall as he continued on his way. I glared after him from the floor.

"Hey!" I yelled. "Who do you think you are?" He didn't answer. He shoved the tile door of the Common Room into the wall and it broke into two pieces. I looked to my left when I heard quicker, more nimble footsteps.

"8, stop!" shrieked 101. I got up and grabbed her arm before she could zip past.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"65 called 8 outside!" she replied without catching her breath like she normally did. "She wants to fight with him! I practically got on my knees and begged him not to go, but he wouldn't listen!" She panted and I blinked.

"Get your compass!" I ordered. I took my hands off her arm and she dashed into her room. A second later, she came out with her compass and grabbed my hand. She dragged me down the hall and we knocked 9 out of the way as we entered the Common Room.

"Gangway! Look out! Comin' through!" she yelled as we pushed past anyone unlucky enough to be directly in our path. I back over my shoulder at 9 as Dad helped him to his feet.

"Sorry, 9!" I shouted as 101 continued to drag me towards the front door. Once I'd shouted my apology, my head swivelled back round to face the back of 101's.

"15, what's the meaning of this?" Dad called after me. I didn't have time to answer him before 101 dragged me through the other Common Room door. As she pulled me outside and started looking around for 8, it felt to me like another century when I'd spoken with 7 out there.

I didn't have much to get my breath back before 101 let out a cry and started dragging me again. I saw what had made her cry out straight away.

65 was on 8's back, pressing the pole part of the top third of her spear into the underside of his chin. She was pushing inwards and upwards as she did so, and I realised that she was choking him. On their right, 84 was standing with his mouth twisted back into a grimace of horror, his eyes flicking back and forth as if he couldn't decide whose side to take.

"No, 65! Stop!" 101 screamed. 65 looked over her shoulder and grinned evilly at the two of us. She relinquished her chokehold and jumped off 8's back because…I don't know, actually. There wasn't really anything stopping her.

Anyway, she let 8 go and kicked him in the back and he fell flat on his chin. She started towards us and 101 positioned herself so that she was directly between 65 and me. But then, 8 grabbed hold of 65's left ankle and she fell down. He yanked her backwards and tossed her into the air and she landed hard on a pile of garbage, somehow managing to hold onto her spear the whole time.

101 finally let go of my hand and started to walk slowly towards them. 8, meanwhile, got to his feet, grabbed his knife and pointed it directly at 65's chest.

"It's time you finally paid, 65," he growled. "Any last words?"

"I'd hate you even if you didn't make my sister betray me, and I hope the Machine buries you alive before he takes your soul," smiled 65. "Ha! How's that for last words?" I quickly slunk over to stand by 84.

"What's the deal with them?" I asked in a hurried whisper.

"I don't know, but something's wrong," he replied. "I've never seen 65 acting so vicious."

"OK," 8 said to 65. "Well, thanks for saving me the trouble of hunting you down. I'll see you in hell."

"That's double for me on that last part!" she snapped, closing her eyes and folding her arms. Without another word, 8 pulled his knife back, ready to ram it through her.

"No, stop! Please! PLEASE!" 101 screamed. But 8 didn't put down his knife and she sprinted towards him as it started to surge forward.

"No, 101!" 84 and I shouted at the same time. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my face with my hands. I hardly dared to take my hands away and open my eyes but when I did, my breath froze in my windpipe.

101 was standing in front of 65, her eyes closed and her arms spread wide like a crucifix. The point of 8's knife was digging into her chest, right where her heart was. Luckily though, the fabric wasn't torn.

"I'm sorry, 8," she said, opening her eyes. "Yes, I admit that 65 is a horrible person at times and I'd probably be better off without her." She sighed. "But I can't watch my sister be killed." Then, she glared. "So, what's it gonna be? This is what I'm prepared to do for the good of someone I love. What are you prepared to do?"

8 hesitated and then pulled his knife away from 101's chest, stabbing the sharp end into the soil. 101 lowered her arms and smiled at him before running over to 84, who was waiting for her with his arms outstretched. I smiled as I watched them embrace and then, I looked back over at 8 to give him a nod of approval.

He just shrugged and picked up his knife, attaching it to a magnet on his back before walking away. I looked down at 65 just as she picked up her spear and leapt to her feet, aiming the blade at 8's spine. In the same second, I surged forward.

"8, look out!" I yelled as I rammed my shoulder into the small of his back. It was like ramming my shoulder into a granite wall, but I managed to do it hard enough to make him fall over. Then, time seemed to slow down and I felt the blade enter my body.

Ripping, breaking, agony.

I fell to the ground and time returned to normal speed.

8 was beside me, trying to get my scarf off so he could use it to cover up the hole in my back.

101 was screaming, her hands clasped to her chest, her eyes squeezed shut in terror.

84 was once again wearing the expression he had when 101 and I had arrived here, his hands on either side of his own head.

65 was laughing, a loud shrieking laugh that was at the exact same volume as her sister's screams. Their voices intermingled, and it was almost like they were singing a duet.

"15!" I raised my head from the dust at the sound of my father's voice, just in time to see 65's spear go flying past him and graze his ribcage. The blow of the spear's blade was glancing, but it was enough to make him fall backwards onto his butt, clutching at his side. 9 crouched beside him and I saw 65's feet walk past my head.

"No!" I screeched, my voice box nearly cracking under the strain. "No! No, please! I'll go with you and you can give my soul to the Machine! I'll do anything! Just don't hurt him! Please!" I had to shout to be heard over 101's screams. 65 stopped and looked past 8 and me at her sister.

"Shut your mouth!" she yelled. "Shut your goddamn mouth!" 101 stopped screaming and opened her eyes, whimpering in fear. 65 shot an uncaring glance at my face and continued towards 9, who was getting ready to defend himself and Dad with his light bulb staff.

"65, don't!" 84 yelled. He leapt towards her and tackled her to the ground. Dad took the opportunity to crawl around 9's legs and get closer to me. 8 turned towards the still-whimpering 101.

"101, hold her down and keep her down," he ordered. Immediately, she silenced herself and dashed over to her struggling sister. 84 stepped away and she knelt on top of 65's spine as a familiar pair of hands pulled me onto someone's lap.

"Oh, 15," Dad said. I was scared. I'd never seen him wear this kind of expression before, not even when I talked about Mom in front of him. His expression was one of grief and bewilderment mixed in with the pride. His pupils were still slits (for the time being) but for once, he wasn't squinting through his cracked eye.

"Da-" I started to say before my body jolted and I had to choke back a cough. Crap, even my voice was failing now. Everything below the tear in my back was going numb, and I knew it wouldn't be long before my lights went out for good. I forced my weak hands to lift.

"What is it?" Dad asked. He sounded like he was fighting back sobs. "What do you need?" My fingers trembled madly as I fumbled with the catch on my upper strap. Finally, I managed to undo it and take out the parcel.

"This…for…you," I breathed as I handed it to him. I blinked. Even doing _that_ exhausted me now. I had to say it to him before it was too late. My eyes closed.

"Daddy, I love you."

And then, I was dead.

…Wasn't I?

101's POV

It was like a scene out of a nightmare. My hands were pressing my sister's face into the dirt, my hands holding hers behind her back, my knees on top of the bottom of her spine. 8, 9 and 84 stood to one side, looking like they were unsure of what to do with themselves.

And 1 was cradling his daughter's limp body, the right side of his ribcage slashed open. I watched as he set a brown package that she'd given to him to one side and then bent his head over her face. He was giving her a forehead kiss.

As he did this, 8 came over and bent down.

"Turn her towards me," he barked. I twisted my sister's head to the right, not caring if I broke her neck in the process. 8 looked her right in the eye with a defiant expression.

"I won't kill you," he told her quietly. "That would be too easy." He gestured towards 1 and 15. "You deserve to live with this." He got up and walked away. I sighed as I watched him disappear back into the crawlspace.

65 made a noise that sounded like a cross between a grunt and a growl and leapt upwards. I went flying. I gripped my left shoulder and gritted my non-existent teeth as I banged it on something hard.

When I looked up, my sister had her spear in her left hand and she was headed straight for me. As I stared into her furious red eyes, I saw no trace of 65 left. I saw only a bloodthirsty machine.

"Hey, you!" a familiar childish voice shouted. 65 looked to her left as 47 came flying at her, aided by 7's hands.

The little blue girl knocked 65 backwards and as she did so, a huge gash was torn in the blonde's left side by her own spear. When they landed, 65 smacked her head on a pebble and lay motionless with her eyes closed as 47 got up.

"Are you all right, 47?" 9 asked her. The little girl smiled.

"I'm fine, just fine," she replied. "I-" She stopped and gasped in mid-sentence when she spotted 15 on the ground. She touched her chin with her fingertips as 7 came over and stood behind her.

"15?" said 47. 1 looked over his shoulder and shook his head sadly before returning his gaze to 15's face. 47 screwed up her face.

"I don't like this at all!" she sobbed. "15! _15_!" She tried to run over but 7 grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. As the poor kid stood there crying, 7 bowed her own head and 9 came over and patted his wife on the back, his own face etched with misery.

"Everybody, calm down," 84 said suddenly. He went up to 1, bent down and checked for 15's pulse at her neck. After a few seconds, he stood up and looked the elder in the face.

"Yes, she'll live," he said. "But she needs medical attention right away." I moaned quietly and staggered to my feet.

"1, take 15 inside," I said, clutching my shoulder. "47, you show him where the Med Room is." 47 nodded and 1 scooped 15 up into his arms before following the little girl inside. After they'd gone, I heard a soft groan behind me.

"Don't move!" 7 barked in 65's direction. She strode towards my sister, but I put an arm in front of her chest to stop her.

"No, wait," I said. I left her standing where she was and knelt in front of my sister as she sat up and felt her head. "65?"

"Ugh. 101," 65 groaned. She opened her eyes and they widened when she saw my hand on my shoulder. "Oh, no! Did-Did I hurt you?"

"Hold on a minute," said 84, walking over and crouching down. I looked at him and he looked at me. "I don't think all of that was 65's fault, 101. Last night, I woke up and saw the Croc put something in her chest."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. It looked like some kind of marble. If I could open her up and get it out of her, I might be able to examine it. And since she's got a tear in her side, I think now would be as good a time as any to do that."

"You're going to operate on her?" I gasped. "While she's still conscious?" I sensed movement on the right of my head and looked down to see 65 lying back. She handed her spear to 84.

"Get it out! Now!" she cried. 84 nodded briefly and looked at me.

"Hold her arms down," he said. I hurried to comply while he put her legs together and knelt on top of them.

He slipped his fingers under the torn fabric and yanked diagonally, exposing most of the Styrofoam underneath her chest and stomach area. 65 made a loud sound, but didn't scream.

Then, 84 made an incision in the Styrofoam, just above the other side of the gash. He tore the Styrofoam in the exact same way he'd torn the fabric. 65 made another loud sound, but she still didn't scream.

At this point, 84 pushed her legs apart and when he knelt again, his kneecaps almost touched her crotch. He slid his hands under her sternum, grabbed hold of something and began to pull at it. This time, 65 didn't hesitate. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and I watched her voice box vibrate as she did so.

84 took his hands away briefly and said, "Man, this thing is stuck tight." 65 took in a gasping breath as he took hold of whatever he'd been pulling again. He resumed pulling at it and she resumed screaming. Finally, whatever it was came loose and 84 fell backwards.

65 closed her eyes, sucked in a sharp breath, held it for a few seconds and then exhaled. I stroked her face as 84 pushed himself up with one hand. If 65 were human, her forehead would've felt sweaty but at least, it was out of her. The internal beating was over.

"Ah," said 84. "This is what was causing all the problems." He held out his hand and showed me a tiny silver ball with a cylinder-shaped bump on its underside. I didn't have the foggiest idea what it was, but its purpose definitely wasn't a good one if the Croc had planted it.

"Come on," 9's voice said from behind us. "Let's take it to 2 and he can figure out what it is. We can fix up 65 while we wait." 84 nodded and I stood back while he picked up our sister.

11 was waiting for us when we got to the entrance, and while he let 7 and 9 pass, he stopped 84 and me.

"101, you may go on," he said. "These two aren't coming in." I glared at him.

"Let 65 and 84 through," I ordered. "I don't care if they serve the Machine or if you hate them. She's injured."

"I do not care!" he snapped. "If you so much as _think _you can defile my house with these demons, then I will-" I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him close at this point.

"YOU WILL NOT!" I screamed. "NOW, LET THEM THROUGH!" I shoved him backwards and he panted for a second or two before nodding at my brother.

"Go on," he said gently. 84 immediately rushed inside with 11 following after him.

I waited a whole minute before rushing off towards my hidey-hole.


	25. Chapter 25

**After this, there's only about three chapters left plus the epilogue and acknowledgements.**

**Oh! And it appears I made a mistake in Chapter 16. In that chapter, I said that 2's hat was made from a stovepipe. But it's actually made from the bottom half of a spool of thread. Oops!**

**65, 101 and 7's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 25

**65's POV**

I avoided the eyes of the grey geezer while I lay on a bed in the Med Room. While the leader's daughter (the brunette, not 11's bastard) was stitching the tear in his side however, I happened to glance at him and caught him looking at me. He quickly looked away (and got pricked by the needle in the process) when he saw me, but not before I got a chance to look in his eyes.

"Murderer" they said.

At some point, a pregnant girl and a stripy guy came in and stayed for a few minutes before going out again. From what I was told, 12 had been explaining what had happened outside to them.

I expected them to look at me as fearfully as 11's bastard did, but the girl's expression was the exact opposite of what it should've been. It wasn't fearful; in fact, it looked almost…fascinated. As if she had a question she wanted me to answer.

Finally, the old guy called 2 came back in, the marble in pieces in his hand.

"So, did you figure out what that thing was?" 84 asked him. 2 nodded and looked at me.

"Miss, have you ever heard of a pheromone?" he asked.

I shrugged and said, "I think so. That's what female animals release to trigger mating behaviour, isn't it?"

"Yes, that's usually the case," replied 2. "However, in some cases, it can also trigger serious hyper-aggression. And-"

"Let me guess," said the brunette. "That thing was supposed to act like the types of pheromones that trigger hyper-aggression and make her crazy?"

"Yes."

"But why 65?" asked 84. "Why would the Machine want to do that to her, but not me?" I had the answer.

"Because it knows that out of all the homunculi it created, I've always been the most loyal to it," I said. "But it also knows that my loyalty to it is on the same level as my love for 84 and 101 and my hatred for my enemies. So, naturally, it would want to get rid of the second thing and increase the strength of the first and third things."

"Then, it's no wonder that the marble was attached to the bottom of your soul container," said 84. "That way, not only would it be hard to remove, but it would also make you angry enough to go for anything. Even 101. Even me." I sighed.

"And that means that 101 was right all along. The Machine really _doesn't _care about anything but itself."

I slid off the bed and walked outside, rubbing my upper arms with my hands as I went. Once I was out of the building, I headed for the spot where we'd all been fighting earlier. I sat down on the rock that I'd bumped my head on and picked up my spear from the dust.

I sat there for a long time, staring at the moonlight reflected off of the blade. And, for a while, I debated on either shoving the spear through my chest or going back inside so I could use it to finish them all off and have done with it.

"Hey," said 84's voice. I looked up and saw him standing there. "I thought I might find you out here." I sighed and scooted over so he could sit down.

"If you're gonna say something, then just say it. You can say something about the Machine, me or anything you want. I don't care."

"I wasn't gonna say anything about you," he replied. "Except that you really _should _learn to keep both an open mind and open options."

"I know I should, damn it!" I shrieked. Then, I sighed. "So, if you didn't come out here to say 'I told you so' or any of that stuff, why _did_ you?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were OK. And have you seen 101 around anywhere?"

"Not since 11 stopped us at the door."

"I hate that guy."

"I love the old son of a bitch for being so annoying that it's funny. Hey, remember that time when he was using pieces of wood to build walls in the crawlspace and we kept swiping them when he wasn't looking?"

"Yeah, he was pretty mad at that and went into full-on spaz mode," smiled 84. "And remember that other time when we set his legs on fire with a magnifying glass while he was napping outside on a sunny day?"

"We burned a hole in each shin and he had to get these red patches sewn on to close the holes. So, he started wearing those brown things to cover up the patches." We giggled fondly at the memories and I smiled at him.

"You're a good brother, 84," I said. "And I'm glad you got that thing out. Which reminds me; I never had a chance to thank you."

I pulled him towards me by his shoulders and gave him a big kiss on the lips.

**101's POV**

I sat shivering in my hidey-hole for ages. It didn't feel the same as before I'd rescued 47 and the others, but that was most likely because someone besides me knew where it was now. I didn't think I was gonna come back here again after I left it tonight.

I got out of my chair and picked up a large cloth bag next to the candle. I threw in the needles, thread and matches as well as anything else that was of any sort of value to me. As I finished packing, I came across a small dented magnet.

I couldn't recall bringing it in there, so it must've fallen through the fishing net. As I picked it up and carried it over to my chair, I got an idea. 8 had said that when he used his magnet, he had to hold it above his head for it to work, right?

When I raised it above my head, I immediately cried out in pain and dropped the magnet. Holding it up there had felt like someone had shoved a spark plug into my brain and switched on the current. Maybe I'd raised it too quickly?

I picked up the magnet and raised it again, slower this time. I breathed inwards and outwards as time seemed to decrease in speed.

Blurs began to creep into my vision, and they kept appearing and disappearing at random. It was kind of annoying, like trying to watch TV while some douche with a remote kept rapidly switching between two different channels. But I couldn't focus on how annoying it was because my mind was slowly emptying, becoming flat and barren like a plain.

My soul container seemed to suddenly leap upwards in my chest, and I moaned softly in pain and ecstasy. I let out a dreamy sigh and the feel of the ground and the chair underneath me disappeared.

"I'm flying!" I yelled. "I'm flying!" I suddenly started seeing a shadowy figure and directed my hollers at it. "Hi, pizza man! I'm very high up and you look like an ant!"

Oh, God. No wonder 8 used to love using this thing so much. If you wanted to escape from reality, the magnet was an excellent way to do it.

"Hey, how come it takes more than one butterfly to screw in a light bulb?" I asked the figure, which was beginning to approach. "I dunno! You tell me!" The hole was then filled with the sound of my own drunken laughter. And then, the magnet was out of my hands.

"Aw, hell naw!" I whined. "Give it back to me, man!" But 8 did nothing of the sort. He threw the magnet into a corner and shook his head at me.

"See?" he said. "This is why I don't talk to you about things like this. It gives you ideas."

"Ideas aren't dangerous," I replied, my head finally starting to clear out the magnet-induced stupor.

"This one is," said 8. "You get into a habit of using magnets, you end up like me. Is that what you want?" In response, I dropped my head and stared at my feet. 8 sighed.

"101, look. You can't just go charging into something before you know what's what like that. It's not right."

"Then, what _is _right, 8?" I snapped, getting up. "I need someone to tell me what to do because I'm sick of trying to figure it all out by myself!" I sighed and face-palmed myself.

Having my mind cleared by the magnet had made my thoughts race afterwards, and I suddenly thought of something I'd been wanting to ask 8 since yesterday. I mentally cursed myself for not asking him in his room earlier.

"6 had a vision," I said, turning round to face him. 8 stared at me.

"So?"

"He said that something was waiting for me. I think he was referring to the Machine, and he said to use the mirror. What do _you _think of that?"

"Oh, sure. Like using a mirror against the Machine is gonna work," he said, folding his arms. "What does he expect you to do? Scare it to death with its own reflection?"

"Well, yeah. It _does _sound pretty dumb when you put it that way. But I can't help but think it means something."

"Hey, don't get all worked up over a little thing like that," said 8. "The things 6 says make no sense ninety-five percent of the time, anyway." My eyes strayed down from his face and I noticed his middle buckle. One of the little black straps that held the metal square in place was missing.

"What happened to that?" I asked, pointing at it. 8 shrugged.

"Lost the strap on the right in an explosion during the war."

"Whoa. Nasty business." Then, I stopped and pondered something. "8, why do you hate my 65?"

"Because she was there when I died. She could've stopped the Machine and she didn't." I paused.

"What?" I said. "That's it?"

"Yeah." I breathed a sigh.

"8, it's to my understanding that we're going to get the talisman back in a few days. If 65 decides to fight with us, I expect you to cooperate with her."

"What? No way! I could work with anyone you asked me to, 101. But not her. She left me to die, she made you hurt 12 and now, look what she's done to 15."

"It's not her fault!" I yelled. "What happened to 15, I mean. The Machine did something to her and made her crazy."

"Crazier," corrected 8. I couldn't bear this any longer and started to haul the cloth bag and myself through the hole. "Hey, come back."

I turned on him and snarled, "Piss off. Just piss off. I won't let you talk to me about my sister that way, whether or not you're holding something against her."

Shock registered on his face and he stood still as I slung the cloth bag over my shoulder and left him in the hole.

**7's POV**

Shortly after 101 came back, I went into the Med Room. 1 was still sitting by 15's bedside, holding onto her right hand with a parcel balanced on his lap. I dragged a stool over and sat down. He looked up at me for a second before looking down at his comatose daughter again.

"If you're just here to make everything worse as usual, feel free to leave," he growled. I shook my head.

"I'm not here to make fun of you. I just want to talk." He sighed wearily.

"All right, then," he said without looking up. "Let's talk." I frowned and took off my skullmet.

"I spoke with 15 earlier," I said, stroking the beak of the skull.

"Oh, did you?" 1 sounded amused for some reason. "What did she say?"

"Not much. I did most of the talking. We played 'I Remember' but again, she didn't really talk. She just…listened, mostly." I looked over at the parcel on his lap. "What's in there?"

"I don't know," he replied. "15 gave it to me just before she passed out. And if my memory is correct, 'I Remember' is that game you used to play with the others when we lived at the cathedral, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right. Anyway, how did the operation go? Will she be OK?"

"5 took care of everything," said 1. "2 was in his room taking apart that marble they pulled out of 65. And speaking of 65, 12 was repairing a huge tear in her chest while all of this went on.

"Anyway, when he was done, 5 told me that there was no spinal damage and although a few wires had been severed, none of them were vital and nothing important had been punctured.

"But he also told me that 15 had slipped into a coma and that he doesn't know when she'll wake up."

"So, why are you still in here?" He glared at me.

"Because I want to be, all right?" he snapped before he sighed and his face softened. "I just…want to make sure that when she _does _wake up, the first thing she'll see is a familiar face." He gestured to her right hand. "I don't know if she can hear or feel anything right now, but if she can, I think she'll feel better if she knows that I'm here."

"That's sweet." Then, I sighed, too. "Look, 1, I'm tired of the hate. And I'm tired of being at war with you all the time. It's over, all right?" He looked surprised, but he nodded and I extended a hand. "Friends?" He hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking my hand and shaking it.

"Friends," he agreed. He let go of my hand and picked up the parcel before looking t me again. "Do you think I should open it?" I just smiled.

1 blinked and set 15's hand down on the bed before he started to carefully tear at the brown paper and string. I looked over and saw a piece of folded blue fabric.

"It's just a blanket," I said, feeling a little disappointed. 1 raised an eyebrow.

"Is it? There's a lump in the middle." He moved the paper out of the way and unfolded the fabric. A small metal object fell out and clattered onto the floor. I bent over and picked it up. It was a brooch.

I handed it to 1 and he gasped when he realised what the two items were.

"7…" he breathed. He looked at me long and hard, as if asking my permission with his eyes. I exhaled slowly.

"She made this for you," I said. "She would've wanted you to wear it." 1 blinked again and stood up, walking away from our seats so he'd have more room. I put my skullmet back on and when 1 sat down again, he was wearing the cape with the brooch pinned in placed at his chest.

"You look great," I commented. Behind me, the door creaked open and I looked over my shoulder. 16 was standing there.

"Hey, Mom," she said. "47 says she wants to say goodnight to you." Before I could respond, she was gone. I sighed.

"I gotta go," I said to 1. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess." I stood up and straightened my skullmet before starting to head out into the hall. I heard 1 exhale loudly.

"Thank you," he said. I stopped short and turned back towards him slightly.

"What did you say?" I asked. He breathed out again before answering.

"You saved my life." I shrugged.

"Hey, it was no biggie." 1 hesitated a little more.

"I was glad when you came back, 7," he said finally. Then, we both smiled.

"I was, too," I replied before I headed out of the Med Room.


	26. Chapter 26

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I will eventually write a "9" fanfic that isn't connected to "Soulbound". This means it will have a different plot and different OCs than this story. I'll give you more information on it later.**

**Anyway, this chapter shows a little more of 13 and 18 ('cause this may be the last time we see them in this fanfic and they've been stuck as minor characters throughout it) plus some brief 4x6 fluff ('cause there really hasn't been enough of that).**

**8, 4 and 101's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy. And please don't hate me for the cliff-hanger!**

Chapter 26

**8's POV**

It took me a few minutes to remember that I was in a hole after I woke up. I got up without even bothering to think about how I was aching all over and tied my shoulder pads around my neck before crawling outside.

"Good morning, sunshine," teased a familiar voice. "The Earth says 'hello'." I looked up and saw 65 sitting cross-legged on a rock, polishing the blade of her spear. I glared at her.

"What do _you _want?" I growled. In response, she got up and stabbed her spear into the ground before grabbing a folded paper on top of the rock.

"101 gave me this," she said, shoving it under my nose. "She was pretty upset when she came back last night. She wouldn't talk to anyone and 11's bast-I mean, the little girl with the dreads told me that she could hear her crying all night."

"That was your own fault," I said. "She was upset because we got into an argument about you. 101 cares a lot about you and your brother, I get that. But do you? Because you certainly don't act like it. You scare her, and thanks to you, I almost killed her yesterday." 65 rolled her eyes.

"I really get under that thick skin of yours, don't I?" she said. "Now, I know you hold a grudge against me because I didn't take the chance to save you from the Machine or whatever. But I also know that you're a little slow to understand whenever someone uses big words."

"And your point is?" I shrugged, raising an eyebrow. 65 sighed.

"Allow me to make this as monosyllabic as possible for you." She got right up in my face and started poking my chest as she said each word. "What. Happened. That. Day. Was. Not. My. Fault." I pushed her away and folded my arms.

"What's the paper for?" I asked.

"Oh, right," she said. "101 wrote something on the paper and said that it was for both of us to read. She went out on a walk after she gave it to me but not before she told me where to find you."

"Have you read it yet?"

"No. 101 told me to wait until I'd found you before I read it." She turned the folded paper over in her hands, but she didn't open it. "What do you think it is? I've got a feeling that it's a last-minute confession of how she never liked any of us and she's run away because she can't stand living with us anymore."

"Maybe it's a suicide note," I said, trying hard to keep the panic out of my voice. "Did she take anything sharp with her when she left?"

"Well, she took her compass but have you _met_ 101?" said 65. "She's not the suicidal type."

"She once jumped into a river with no regard for her own safety," I pointed out. "A person who could do that is capable of anything." 65 stared.

"When did she do _that_?"

"About three days ago."

"Three days ago? What-oh, no! Did she do that because I told her to stop being a wimp during a fight?"

"Wait, you told her to go fall in a river?"

"No!" she snapped. "We had a sparring session and I told her that she needed to be braver when we were finished. And when I said that, I meant her to take it to heart and become a better fighter, not to maim herself." I quickly decided to change the subject.

"What does the note say?" I asked her.

"I told you that I don't know because I haven't read it yet." But then, she smiled and unfolded it. "But I _do _know that it's addressed to both of us and that the expression 'Ladies first' is tossed around a lot these days. So, I'm just going to read it first, if you don't mind."

She was still smiling as her pupils started flickering from side to side, scanning the words on the page. As she got nearer to the bottom, her eyes started to widen and her mouth dropped open.

"What is it?" I asked. "What does it say?" She didn't answer. She just finished reading and then tore the page in half from top to bottom. I tried to grab it off her when she started mutilating the two halves as well.

"Hey!" I yelled. "What are you doing?" 65 didn't reply. By this stage, the page had been shredded into little bits that were impossible to stick back together. She threw those on the ground and grabbed my arm before she started trying to drag me.

"Let's go! Hurry!" she shouted. I could tell she was starting to get annoyed because I wouldn't move, but if she wanted me to go somewhere with her, she'd have to tell me where and why first.

"What did the note say?" I demanded. "I'm not gonna budge until you tell me." 65 sighed and let go of my arm.

"It says she's gone to get the talisman back on her own," she said. "She's hoping that we'll learn to cooperate with each other if she does."

"What?" I said. "That's crazy! What does she think this is; 'Romeo and Juliet'?"

"What the hell does Shakespeare have to do with-oh, never mind!" She walked over to her spear and pulled it out of the ground. "We're wasting time! We have to go now if we're ever gonna have a chance at saving her!"

"No," I said. "We have to go back to the crawlspace. If we tell the others what's going on, they can help us. Besides, there's strength in numbers."

"Numbers do not win a battle."

"Yeah, but I bet they help." 65 growled in frustration.

"We're not going back and that's final!" she snapped. "We can save 101 on our own!" Then, she seemed to change her mind. "If you wanna waste time by going to warn the others, that's your problem. I, on the other hand, am going to save her myself."

"Well, fine!" I snapped back. "Go, then! I don't need your help!"

"And I don't need yours," she snarled, starting to walk away. "I'm not wasting any more time discussing this with you. _You _may not care about her safety but-"

I cut her off by grabbing her arms and pulling her back towards me.

"Don't you _dare _say I don't care about her!" I growled. 65 smiled teasingly and pulled away.

"You love her," she said. I couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, but I nodded anyway. Then, she sighed.

"All right. Let's go round up the others."

**4's POV**

"You can't catch me!" 13 teased as 3 chased him round the Common Room. I smiled as I watched them playing. Those two had become friends right away, and at least, 3 had something to distract him from worrying about everything that had happened recently.

"If you don't mind me saying so, you look like you've got yourself a full plate there, 4," 18 drawled, hobbling over and sitting down. "Wanna talk about it?"

_I'm pretty sure a lot of people have a full plate right about now_, I flickered. _The Machine is trying to kill us, 15's in a coma, I'm pregnant and 101's getting upset over practically nothing._

"It's not practically nothing," said 18. "11 tried to talk to her last night, but she just threw a pillow at him and said that she wasn't listening to anyone if they were just gonna 'verbally bash' her sister. Somethin' told me that she'd been using magnets."

_Oh, yeah? How'd you know?_

"Well, for starters, 36 found the whole parenting thing pretty hard after 47 was born. So, she tried magnets a few times to calm her nerves before she went to bed. But she kept yelling about things that really irked her during the night since she used magnets right before she went to sleep. It drove 11 crazy and finally, he banned magnets for everyone."

_So, did she stop?_

"Yeah, but she was lucky that she didn't use them that often," he replied. "36 only used magnets when things got too much for her. Plus, she's pretty strong-willed so she knew how to resist using them for too long or when she wasn't depressed. If she hadn't done any of those things, she might've ended up as dim as that 8 fella. No offence to him, mind."

"Hey, what're you guys whispering about?" asked 13, coming over. He'd briefly managed to subdue my brother by pushing a book over on top of him.

"Nothin' much," replied 18. "How's your game goin'?"

"Yeah, it's goin' fine. Hey, did I tell you what I saw 65 and 84 doing last night?"

"No. What?"

"They were snogging outside the entrance to the crawlspace," giggled 13. "I'm not kidding! They're brother and sister and yet, they were smooching up a storm! Mwah, mwah, mwah!" As he said the last three words, he closed his eyes and made kissing movements with his lips.

"Be thankful that 65 isn't here," said 84, who was fiddling with his foldable spear in the corner. "She may not have that marble attached to her soul container anymore, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't cut your head off if she heard you right now."

"She don't scare me!" said 13, sticking out his chin and putting his hands on his hips, eyes still closed. "She's just a silly!"

"She _doesn't _scare you," corrected 84. "And you're right; she _is _a bit silly. But 65 and I are just _metaphorically _brother and sister because we share the same creator. We're not actually brother and sister and if we were, I wouldn't have let her kiss me."

"Ah-hah!" 13 yelled triumphantly, pointing a finger at him. "So, you admit you like her!"

"No, I do not," 84 muttered monotonously. "Make up your own damn theories if you want. I am not in love with 65."

"Ha!" 13 cried happily, putting his hands on his hips and closing his eyes again. "Denying that you're into her _totally _means that you're into her!" 84 groaned and face-palmed himself.

"Aw, c'mon, 13," said 18. "Give the guy a break, will ya?" Seconds after he spoke, 3 finished crawling out from under the book and ran up to 13 before tagging him.

"Aw!" he yelled. "Darn it! I'm 'it'!" But before they could get back to their game of Tag, 65 came running in with 8 panting behind her.

"Oh, what is it now?" sighed 11. 65 shot him a glare before she spotted 9 and rushed towards him, grabbing onto the skin of his upper arms.

"We need to get some of the others together and get out of here!" she panted. "101 needs our help!"

"What? Why?" asked 9.

"She's gone to the factory," explained 8. "She left a note and it said she's gonna try and get the talisman back on her own."

"And that's why we need to go! Now!" cried 65. "She's gonna get herself killed!" 11 stood up.

"Miss 7," he said to her, "go and gather the others and bring them in here. 18, my knife, please."

"Hey, I have an idea!" announced 65. "If you want your knife, 11, why don't you just go and get it your damn self?"

"Now, why does this stuff sound familiar?" 7 asked no one in particular. Then, she went out of the room and 65 sighed and face-palmed herself.

"Honestly, 11," she said. "With you around, I'm starting to wonder how everyone who's lived in this crawlspace for the past fifteen years is still alive. I swear, if we don't die within five minutes of entering the factory, I'll be fuckin' amazed."

**~Soulbound~**

Ten minutes later, 6 and I were curled up together on our bed. 9 and 11 had just left for the factory with 5, 7, 8, 16, 47, 65 and 84 in tow. 2 was staying behind in case something happened that needed a healer and 12 was staying behind in case 2 needed an extra pair of hands.

"Are you worried about them?" 6 asked. I blinked at him.

_Yes_, I flickered. _But I'm mostly worried about 101. What if they're too late to save her?_

"They won't be," he assured. "Trust me, I'm a seer. I know these things."

_6, I'm sorry._

"Sorry for what?"

_I haven't been treating you right because of the mood swings. And I wish I'd never started this whole romance thing. I feel like I've trapped you because of it all. We got married too soon, conceived a child too soon…it just doesn't seem right to me. I wonder sometimes if it would've been better if I'd never told you I was in love._

"4, look," he said. "I know what you're feeling and I know that all of this feels weird to you. But I can say without hesitation that I regret nothing that's happened between us since you kissed me that night." As if to prove his point, he pulled my face close to his and we locked lips for a few seconds. I smiled when our mouths separated.

_6_, I flickered, _I don't care if the Machine is back again. As long as I'm with you, I can get through anything. _He chuckled.

"I can get through anything as long as I'm with you, too. Just think, 4. In a few months, the Machine will be dead and we'll back at the library with the others. And hopefully, by then, 15 will be awake again and we'll be taking care of our baby."

_I wonder if she'll be a seer, too._

"I'll still love her if she is, but personally, I think one seer in the family is quite enough."

_I hope she'll be both a good artist _and_ an avid reader, if not anything else._

"I'm sure she will be, 4," said 6. He breathed a pleasant sigh. "Thank you."  
_What for? _I asked.

"I always feel more…like the others when I'm with you," he replied. "Saner. And there are times when you help to keep the visions away." He lifted my hand, placed it on my stomach and held it there. "Feel that? That's our baby, 4. You haven't just given me a chance to find a soul mate. You've given me a family, too."

_And you've done the same for me, too_, I reminded him. _Don't forget _that_. Oh, I love you so much, 6. _I drew him further into my embrace.

"As I love you," whispered 6. "More than my own life." He took our hands off my stomach and we kissed against before he nuzzled his face against my left cheek.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, 10 kicked me hard on the right side of my stomach. 6 gave the same spot a gentle pat and smiled down at the bulge.

"You're going to love this world when you come into it, 10," he said. "Sure, it's a mess of destroyed buildings and spare parts, but there are things around that still make it a great place to live. The beauty of a sunrise, the soft feel of the grass under your feet, the cool refreshment of a summer breeze…I just know that you'll love it all."

_Oh, 6_, I flickered breathlessly. _That's beautiful. I didn't know you had such a way with words. _He shrugged and went on stroking my stomach.

"I just can't wait until she's here." I took his hand in my own and squeezed it, shifting myself so that the swell of my belly was pressing against his hip.

_I know. I can't either_, I told him. _But as long as we're together, I know that I can stay patient. It'll all be worth the wait in the end. You'll see._

I closed my eyes and buried my face in his shoulder.

**101's POV**

The Croc stuck its head inside my hiding place and sniffed around evilly. My compass lay at the entrance to the main room of the factory, broken into two pieces. The pain in my left shoulder from my scuffle with 65 had come back after the Croc had stomped on it. I stared down at my middle.

The Machine had just barely blasted the left side of my waist with its flamethrower. I'd beaten out the flames but charred, jagged, blackened fabric surrounded a medium-sized hole over my hip. In the middle of the hole was the exposed Styrofoam layering, pure white and unharmed. My waistband and left shoulder rope were gone.

The Croc's head turned to the right and it spotted me immediately. It withdrew its head and I heard footsteps that sounded like it was rotating itself. Before I could move, its long tail snaked its way in and wrapped itself around my middle, pinning my arms to my sides.

"No!" I roared. As the tail pulled me outside, I struggled and squirmed and wiggled and kicked until I thought I would scream. The pain was unbearable.

The Croc approached the Machine and turned so that it could extend its tail up to its master's eye. The Machine glared balefully at me and I stared fearfully back at it. I heard multiple pairs of footsteps run into the room and stop at the entrance as I was lowered down until my face was right in front of the talisman.

"101!" 8 yelled. The Machine's eye closed.

I screamed.


	27. Chapter 27

I think this chapter was my favourite to write, even though it was also the hardest. Probably because it contains all the violence and death and fight scenes that the rest of the story doesn't have.

**Oh! And remember the Centipede? Well, he shows up here for a second or two before 16 kills him. Which makes his survival in Chapter 4 totally pointless.**

**101 and 8's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 27

**101's POV**

I heard something whoosh through the air and when I opened my eyes, 8's scissor blade sliced through the Croc's tail and then embedded itself in the bottom-right corner of the Machine's eye. Both it and the Croc roared in pain as the tail came loose and I dropped to the floor.

"Oops!" teased 65 in a singsong voice. "Did I do that?" The Machine opened its eye and yanked the blade out with an angry roar while I started pulling the remainder of the tail off myself.

_ATTACK! _growled the Croc in its fury. Immediately, a huge swarm of Spiderbots scuttled out from holes in the walls and across the floor from behind the Machine and quickly scurried towards the others. As they did so, I scrambled to my feet and made a dash for the discarded scissor blade.

"84, get the kid!" shouted 65. I couldn't hear 84's response over the sudden clash of metal and thunder of footsteps, but I continued towards the blade anyway. Just as I was about to lay my hands on it, something collided with me from the right and I went flying.

I smacked my head off something and heard the blade scraping against the floor as it slid across it. When I looked up, I saw a large Spiderbot crawling towards me.

"Hey," I said with a slight smile. "How it's goin'?" I reached for the blade and took hold of it as I got to my feet. I clutched it with both hands (ignoring the throb of pain in my left shoulder) and narrowed my eyes at the Spiderbot as we circled each other.

In this moment, it was just like me; it was keeping an eye on its opponent's movements, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

Finally, it lunged at me with a growl and I shoved my hands forward. The blade went right into the front side of the Spiderbot in the same second. It cut cleanly, beautifully.

The Spiderbot crashed to the ground and its red eyes faded out forever. I put a foot down on its head and pulled the blade out. As I stepped away from the corpse, I heard a growl on my right. I turned towards the glaring Croc and couldn't help grinning back at it.

"Look," I said. "Losing your tail was your own damn fault, so don't blame me." It growled again and its head started to come down towards me. There was a loud yell and then 84 leapt onto the top of its head, covering its eyes with a piece of black cloth.

"101, you get to that ledge up there!" he shouted. "I'll handle this guy!" I nodded and shoved the handle of the blade between my lips, "biting" down hard to secure it there before I made a dash for the wall.

I slid my fingers into the highest crack I could reach and hauled myself up. I did the same thing for about three more cracks before I pressed myself against the wall and shuffled sideways until I reached the ledge. Then, I got onto my knees, set down the blade and looked out over the battle.

84 was still holding the cloth over the Croc's eyes and clinging on for dear life at the same time. Behind the Croc, 65 was slowly making her way towards the Machine, stopping to slice up a few Spiderbots every now and again.

I looked over at the entrance where 9's clan and 11 and 47 were still fighting against more Spiderbots. In one corner, however, 16 was toying with the Centipede's severed head, practically dancing around it as she dodged its attacks. A few seconds after I spotted her, she got tired of her own games and stabbed her machete into its eye before stomping on its head.

My eyes darted back over to 65 just as the Machine swotted her backwards. It wasn't a hard swot since she didn't fly back very far, but it looked like it hurt just the same. I screamed down at her as the Machine stretched an arm in her direction.

"65, run away! Hurry!" But, although 65 got to her feet, she didn't run away. Instead, she looked up at me and grinned.

"The defeat of your enemy is worth any sacrifice," she said matter-of-factly. Then, she turned her head back towards the Machine. It pinched her right hand with its claw and hoisted her into the air by it. Clearly, 65 hadn't expected this but still, she didn't look afraid.

Once it had her dangling in front of its eye, the Machine reached up with another arm and took hold of her left foot with the claw. I immediately realised what it was trying to do, and that this was her punishment for her betrayal.

"No," I breathed. The Machine yanked 65's left foot in a diagonal direction. I watched in horror and 65 screamed in pain as the whole of her leg was ripped clean away, along with most of the skin and wiring on the left side of her body.

My sister gasped loudly as the remains of her leg were dropped and the claw that had been holding them clamped itself around her middle. Her right hand was released and the Machine's eye closed. The talisman opened.

I gripped the fabric of my own chest, right over the spot where my soul container was, and squeezed my eyes shut as the talisman began to rip 65's soul from her body. I heard a few gasps and cries of alarm from over by the entrance, as well as an anguished scream from 84.

I drew my breath in gasps when I finally dared to open my eyes. 65 was lying on the ground and facing away from the wall, her hair strewn across her right side like liquid gold. I quickly found that I couldn't keep my eyes on her broken, lifeless body and shifted my gaze over to 84 and the Croc.

My brother's grief had been the distraction the Croc had been waiting for, and the cloth was finally out of its eyes. 84 was gripping its eyestalks tightly, trying hard not to be thrown off. I looked at the blade next to me and picked it up.

"84, jump!" I shouted. He hurried to obey and slid his fingers into a crack on the wall as I hurled the blade straight down through the Croc's head. It couldn't even roar to show its pain. It had just enough time to raise its head and glare at me before its legs gave out and it fell to the ground, dead.

I crawled to the edge and reached for my brother, the Machine roaring at the loss of its only remaining general in the background. 84 tried hard to get high enough to take my hand but, unfortunately, my brother wasn't as good a climber as he was a swimmer. He stared up at me with large, frightened eyes.

"I can't get up!" he said in a panicked voice. "I can't get up!" I heard a gun cock and then suddenly, I remembered a new weapon 65 had added to the Machine when we'd repaired it; the machine gun from a dead Steel Behemoth.

There was a loud gunshot and everything began to blur. 84's eyes widened and I saw the bullet enter his body through his back. His mouth was moving and I could feel my throat vibrating with my own scream, but I couldn't hear either one.

84 lost his grip on the crack and he fell. I closed my eyes just as I was deafened by another gunshot, still screaming. When the ringing in my ears finally stopped, I closed my mouth and opened my eyes.

I didn't look at the corpse right away. Instead, I got shakily to my feet and jumped off the ledge. I fell about a metre or so to the floor and landed painfully on my backside. I turned towards my dead brother, now that I had the chance to look into his eyes one last time.

There was a hole on both sides of 84's head; one where the bullet had gone in and the other where it had gone out. These holes were identical to the ones on his back and chest. His face was frozen in the exact same expression he had worn at the moment of his death. His eyes were wide with terror, pain and surprise. His mouth was twisted back into a grimace of horror.

The Machine's arm reached past me and picked up the corpse. I couldn't bear to watch it prepare to take the soul of someone I loved this time. The pains in my shoulder, side and chest were all coming in waves now. I forced myself to look in the direction of the entrance instead of the green light I could see out of the corner of my eye.

I gasped inaudibly at what I saw. There were very few Spiderbots left, and I couldn't see much with so many of their corpses surrounding the others, but I could see just enough.

9 was standing apart from his friends and staring in the direction of the Machine. Behind him, 5 and 47 were crouching beside 11, who was missing half of his right arm and part of the right side of his head. 7 was cradling her left arm to her chest like a baby and using her daughter's ribbon as a makeshift sling, but I couldn't see 8 anywhere.

The light faded and I heard 84's body hit the ground with a soft thud. I saw 9 turn his head towards me. I gripped my chest again, the same way I had when 65 was killed.

My brother and sister were dead. 7 and 11 were injured. And 8 was dead or almost dead, at least. If he wasn't visible, then surely he wasn't alive.

I couldn't bear all of this pain, whether it was physical or emotional or some other type that I couldn't name. All I wanted was to die, to never have been born. I wanted to claw my chest open and rip the heart from it. Anything to get rid of this agony.

I saw a look of determination cross 9's face as his head turned back towards the Machine. I realised instantly what he intended to do and started digging through a pile of junk on my left, looking for a weapon or anything I could use.

Something shiny and reflective caught my eye and I pulled a handle-less hand mirror out of the pile. Three words spoken by a panicked, half-whispering voice rang in my head;

_Use the mirror!_

9 started to run, seemingly heedless of the screams of protest from his clan. I glanced at the mirror and then at the talisman before I got up and sprinted towards him. I knew now what 6 had been talking about, what had to be done.

"No!" I recognised this voice as soon as it started speaking; I could've recognised it even if I'd heard it in a crowded room. 9 froze and turned a little, buying me a few precious seconds. I set down the mirror and sprinted towards 8.

"Are you insane?" he yelled at me. I didn't answer. Instead, I slipped off my only remaining shoulder rope (my right one) and tied it tight around his wrist.

"In case I don't make it," I told him. "I'm sorry, 8. For everything." I turned again and scooped up the mirror as I ran. 9 was standing in front of the Machine now and my creator was glaring angrily as it recognised the one who'd killed it. The Machine's eye closed just as I reached him.

"9," I panted, shoving the mirror under his nose. "Will this work?" He took the mirror and stared at it before he too remembered what 6 had said. The talisman opened and he held up the reflective side, positioning it carefully. I closed my eyes and braced myself, ready to run.

_If this is a mistake, it's my last_, I thought. I heard the energy beams shoot out and then connect themselves to something or someone. I opened my eyes, expecting to see 9 convulsing among the shards of the broken mirror as his soul was taken.

But he wasn't. He was standing with his knees bent and his back straight, directing the energy beams towards the Machine's eye with the mirror. I had to be quick now. I sprinted towards the talisman and started tugging at it with all my strength.

Finally, the talisman popped out of its socket and flew backwards, banging my shoulder hard on the floor. I felt my bones separate at the spot where my arm and shoulder were connected. I screamed uncontrollably in response as I heard an explosion from above my head.

"Get back!" 9 shouted, grabbing my good arm and yanking me to my feet. I opened my eyes and stumbled away from the falling Machine. The hook attaching it to the ceiling broke off as it fell, tearing a hole open in the process. I realised that I wasn't holding the talisman but breathed an internal sigh of relief when I spotted it in 9's hands.

The whole place shook as the Machine crashed to the ground and cracks started to spread out from the hole in the ceiling. Then, the air was filled with dust and huge chunks of concrete and metal fell onto the floor. The roof was caving in.

"Get a move on, gang!" 9 called out. He let go of my arm and we turned and started running. 8 was ahead of us and most of the rest had already fled outside. The whole time I was running, my left arm was dangling useless and banging painfully against my side.

"Hurry, guys!" 5 yelled from the entrance. "Hurry!" 8 and 9 dashed out of the room without answering but before 5 could follow them, I grabbed hold of his utility pack.

"What are you doing?" he asked. I wordlessly pulled a match out of the pack and when he turned, his eye widened. "You're going to set it on fire?"

"Even if the roof collapses in here, it won't destroy the whole factory," I explained. "I want this to end for good." 5 looked like he wanted to protest, but he nodded.

"You're brave, 101," he said. "Incredibly stupid, but brave nonetheless. Now I really wish I'd talked to you more."

"Same here," I smiled. "Now, go. And take care of 12. You're lucky to have each other." I sped over to a pool of oil before he could answer and struck the match off the bottom of my foot. I stood back a little and tossed it into the pool. After a few seconds, the spot where the match had landed began to flare up.

That was enough for me. I took hold of my left arm and pulled it up to my chest the way 7 had. Then, I ran with all my might. I was out of the main room and a quarter of the way down the hall when the rumbling started to intensify and I started to struggle not to fall.

There was an explosion behind me when I was halfway to the exit and I could see a bright yellow light bouncing off the walls. I tried to quicken my pace, but I was exhausted. I could see the light coming towards me and almost feel the heat of it against my back.

I gave a short, determined growl and continued to run as fast as my aching legs would let me. It was just before the exit when I took a tumble. Without waiting to get my breath back, I scrambled over to the head of a dead Steel Behemoth and clambered inside through its broken eye

I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes.

**8's POV**

I gave a yell and slid across the dirt on my front as the explosion knocked me off my feet. When the ground finally stopped shaking, I raised my head and spat out a mouthful of dirt. I was surrounded on all sides by smoke and ash and groaning, coughing rag dolls.

"Are we all here?" 9 asked no one in particular. "Everybody OK?" I pushed myself to my feet and stared at the burning ruins of the factory. I wondered if 65 had been able to remember looking at something similar after she survived the destruction of the first factory.

"Where's 101?" 5 said suddenly. "Has anyone seen 101?" My mind snapped back to reality and I looked around the group. 16 was standing by the wreckage and digging through it. I couldn't understand why at first. But then, it hit me.

101 had blown up the factory and since she wasn't here, that could only mean that she'd still been inside when it had exploded. But it wasn't _totally _hopeless, at least.

Maybe she'd been able to find something that could withstand an explosion, like 65 had done that one time. Maybe she'd hidden in it and she was patiently waiting for someone to help her dig her way out. Or maybe…I didn't even want to think about the other possibility.

"Over here!" 16 shouted. "I found her!" She lowered her head again and continued digging. 9 and 5 went to help her a second later. I wanted to go over with them, but I was dreading what I would find if I did.

Finally, 16 stepped to one side and the two men pulled a limp white body out through the hole they'd just made. I tried to run towards them as they put it down, but my own body wouldn't let me. Instead, I just walked over at snail speed, like a crippled old man.

I knelt beside the person on the ground and turned her towards me. It was definitely 101 (the scarf was a dead giveaway). Her eyes and mouth were closed, her face perfectly smooth. Her skin looked yellow in the glow of the fire and in another life, she might've been having an afternoon nap.

"Hey," I said to her. "Are you OK?" She didn't answer and I took hold of her right shoulder before giving it a shake. In response, her head lolled against her other shoulder and her eyes stayed closed.

_Oh, no_, I thought. _Not this. Please, God. Anything but this._

Physical pain I could live with, because I'd been built to endure it. But emotional pain I couldn't deal with at all, because I hadn't been designed to do that. That kind of pain was completely out of my depth.

9 got down and nudged 101 gently (the others were all still hanging back). Her body moved when he touched it, but it became still again when he took his hand away. I reached up and stroked the rope that 101 had tied around my left wrist. Then, 9 and I looked at each other.

"We've got to get back to the crawlspace," he said. I nodded with a frown and scooped the body up into my arms. As I started to turn back towards the others, I felt something cold and metallic brush against my chest and looked down.

101's mouth opened to let out a sigh and then she blinked.

"You're OK," I breathed. She smiled slyly in response.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," she said weakly. We both looked up as 9 approached.

"101," he said wearily, "you are the craziest girl I have ever met." Then, his face softened and he smiled. "And for that I owe you my life." I smiled my congratulations at 101.

"You're a hero," I told her.

"Heroine, ya dork," she corrected. "Ladies are heroines."


	28. Chapter 28

Bonjour, buenos noches and good evening to you all. We are now at the last chapter before the epilogue and acknowledgements.

**But despair not; a sequel is in the works and will be published near the end of the month. Sadly though, I won't be updating it as often as I did with "Soulbound". After all, birthday celebrations and starting school again in September WILL kinda get in the way.**

**15 and 101's POVs in this chapter. RAR and enjoy!**

Chapter 28

**15's POV**

I went so far into myself that I wasn't sure if I would be able to find my way back to the Land of the Living. But eventually, I was able to think and hear properly again and the weight of my deep sleep began to lift.

It was a gradual process and although I didn't act on it, I could feel it when I was able to move my feet, wiggle my fingers and open my eyes. I could also feel pressure on either side of my right hand and hear quiet snoring nearby. Further away, there was the sound of 9's voice and tile doors being moved.

"1? Are you in here?" he said as he moved them. "1? Hello?" He finally found the right door and the snoring abruptly stopped as he opened it.

"What? Who that?" Dad asked sleepily. I heard 9 close the door and then he approached either the spot where I was lying or the spot where Dad was sitting.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to wake you. But what are you doing in here?"

"The healers let me bring 15 back into her own room," Dad explained. "How's 7 doing?"

"Her arm's been fixed but the healers said that she shouldn't put it under too much strain for at least a week," replied 9. "She wasn't very happy when she found out she couldn't do any training, and she even compared having a broken arm to having her leg impaled with a harpoon."

"Why would she want to train? The Machine is dead." I gasped internally and the fingers on my right hand twitched slightly. I allowed no other part of my body to break rank as Dad sucked in a sharp breath.

"15?" he whispered. I hesitated. Could I answer him without sounding like an old frog with a bad cold? I doubted that since I'd been sleeping so deeply for so long.

"How many days has it been since she was injured?" asked 9. "Four?" I felt whatever had a hold on my right hand shake a little, probably from Dad nodding. "Maybe she's starting to come out of it. I wonder if she'll be miffed about not getting to fight the Machine with us."

"I won't blame her if she is," said Dad. "Judging from what the others have told me, it appears that we both missed an entertaining fight."

"Well, I wouldn't call it entertaining but, yeah." Then, 9 sighed. "Now, 1, I don't want you to be mad at 65 if you can help it. I know what she did was terrible, but it wasn't her fault. And…I'm pretty sure she's been through more than we both think."

"It certainly seems like that, according to 101. And speaking of 101, how is she coping with what happened to 65 and 84?"

"I don't really know," replied 9. "Ever since the healers took care of her injuries, she's been spending most of her time either sleeping or in her room. And even when she _does _come out of her room, she won't talk to or look at anyone. Not even 8."

I opened one eye slightly. Not so much that they would notice, but just enough to get a small glimpse of what was going on.

"But I thought 8 and 101 were like this," said Dad, entwining two of the fingers on his right hand (his left was the one holding mine).

"They were, but 101 was like that with 65, too. I know they didn't always see eye to eye, but they were still pretty close. And since 8 and 65 have very similar personalities, he'll probably remind 101 too much of her sister so she won't want to be around him."

"I see. And there's another problem with 101 waking up screaming in the middle of the night. It's driving a lot of us crazy."

"I know, 1," said 9. "I'm not perfectly comfortable with it either. But I think she's just having nightmares about what happened to 65 and 84. It'll pass eventually."

"I hope you're right," replied Dad. "Now, did you need me for something? Or did you just want to talk?"

"Well, actually, I was just looking for you. You and 15 weren't in the Med Room and I was wondering where you both went. Again, I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Don't worry about it." He looked back in my direction and I quickly closed my eye again. "Sometimes, I wonder if I would've been a better father to her if her mother had stayed."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up about that," said 9. "I mean, your relationship with 15 isn't perfect but it's still small-time compared to 11's relationship with his daughter."

Dad chuckled and said, "Do you know who 11 reminds me of? He reminds me of myself when I was the leader of our clan."

"Yeah, you're right," laughed 9. "You were _exactly _like him when I first came to the cathedral. And-And 36. She's like 7, except the exact opposite."

"Well, 36 may be 7's opposite, but 65 could easily be her twin." They both burst out laughing and I couldn't stop myself from joining in. When we stopped, I finally forced my eyes to open. Dad sighed with relief and 9 headed for the door.

"I'll just…give you two a moment alone, then," he said before he went out. I sat up and Dad wrapped his arms around my shoulders before drawing me close.

"Oh, thank goodness," he said softly. "I thought you'd never wake up." I rubbed his back and saw that he was wearing the cape I'd made for him. I smiled, for once ignoring the throb of my scar.

"Daddy," I crooned. He gave me a tight squeeze before kissing me lightly on the forehead. Then, I remembered something from his talk with 9. "The Machine is dead?"

"Yes. Yes, it is," he replied, pulling away so we could look at each other. "It's dead, and we can finally begin living." I caught sight of my reflection in the brooch and stared at it dumbly.

The girl who stared back at me wore the same confused expression that I did but beyond that, she didn't look very much like me. Her skin matched the light-grey tone of Dad's and her thick, pixie-short hair matched the shade of my skin (which was a few shades darker than my father's). Was the girl in the brooch supposed to be me? Because her colours were too light to be mine.

Dad saw the look on my face and he half-chuckled and half-scoffed.

"It's all right," he said. "You're just a bit sun-bleached. It can happen if fabric is exposed to sunlight for a long time."

"Oh, yeah. That's why 7 is so pale, isn't it?" He nodded and then, I sighed. "Dad, I know that neither of us have gotten totally used to the other's quirks and flaws yet. But I'm tired of keeping my feelings to myself all the time." He stared at me, surprised. But he didn't say anything so I continued.

"I guess that all I'm trying to say is…can we start again?" There was an awkward pause, but then he smiled and patted me on the back.

"Of course, we can," he said. He embraced me again and I swung my legs over the side of the bed so I could hug him back properly. Then, he said something I never thought I'd hear him say.

"I love you." I choked back a gasp of surprise and whispered the only reply I could think of.

"I know." I smiled again and this time, my scar didn't hurt at all.

**101's POV**

I pulled the tent pegs holding the fishing net in place out of the ground and yanked the net out from the garbage mound. It immediately crashed down into the hole underneath it and I sighed before starting to walk slowly away.

It was almost sad that I'd just destroyed my own hidey-hole, but I didn't need it anymore. It was just another thing that I could say was gone.

It was getting dark out when I arrived back at the crawlspace. I stopped and breathed deeply for a few minutes, mentally preparing myself for the walk through the Common Room. 15 had woken up earlier today and she'd undoubtedly be in there, so at least there would be a distraction so I could sneak past everyone.

Sure enough, the Common Room was buzzing with activity. A few people were gathered around 15, but several others were doing their own things in the corners;

5 and 12 were caressing each other's faces whilst using 12's wings for a bit of privacy. 4 and 6 were sitting on their usual sofa, smiling and gazing into each other's eyes with their hands entwined. 36 was helping 16 to make clothes for the baby. 13 and 18 were playing checkers.

And (this was a huge surprise, by the way), 47 was kneeling on the floor and drawing while her father-who had black patches on his head and the stump of his right arm-crouched beside her and watched.

I drifted through to my own room, never meeting anyone's eyes. I sat down on the bed and tried playing 36's lullaby on my flute. It didn't really do anything to make me feel better and when I tried to invent a new tune, I always just ended up blowing into the tube and making it echo hollowly. Finally, I gave up and tossed the flute into a corner.

I lay back, stroking the rough patch of burlap that had been used to mend the hole in my left side. I let out a sigh, not caring as the stitchings ached beneath my fingers. I was tired and had no strength left for physical pain or heartache. There was nothing inside me but emptiness.

I started picking at the stitches and I didn't stop. I almost wanted to see how long I could do this until the stitches finally came loose and the patch came off. This thought was immediately interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called out. The tile door moved and 8 popped his head into the room.

"101, can I come in?" he asked. I nodded and sat up while he walked in and closed the door. I patted a spot on the bed and motioned for him to sit down, but he shook his head.

"You look terrible," he informed me gravely.

"I _feel _terrible," I agreed. "And I'm sorry, 8. But I just don't feel like being around a bunch of people right now." His face fell.

"What's happened to you?" he asked. "We always used to talk when you weren't happy with your life. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that. It's not your fault and it's not anybody else's fault. I'm just a little sick of…feeling. I don't want to feel horrible but I don't want to feel happy either. I…ugh! I'm just confused and tired. That's more or less the gist of it."

8 came and sat down beside me on the bed. He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it as gently as his strength would allow.

"You're gonna be OK," he assured me. "And…I'm sorry about 65 and 84. I know you miss them, and I can't pretend that I understand how you're feeling. But I can try and if you wanna talk about it, you know where to find me."

"I'm guessing that by that last part, you mean that your clan is going back to the library since 15's awake."

"Something like that. I mean, we're not leaving until tomorrow but…" I decided to change the subject.

"Do you still hate her?" I asked. I didn't even have to say the name. He knew who I was talking about.

"No," he said after a pause. "I probably won't be able to forgive her for all those bad things she did, but I don't think I have it in me to hate her anymore." Then, he looked at me. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm not sure," I replied sadly. "I know I'm definitely not going to stay here at the crawlspace. Maybe I'll just pack up my things and become a nomad." 8 shook his head.

"You don't need to do that. You can come back to the library with us." I pondered this for a moment.

"I could…but would the others let me? I mean, I'm not exactly an angel 24/7 and I think a few members of the clan are still reluctant to trust me. I'm not sure I'd fit in with you guys."  
"Well, we're not exactly perfect ourselves, in case you haven't noticed," 8 pointed out. "So, it won't be much of a surprise if you don't fit in." I smiled and breathed out slowly.

I had to tell him now. I probably wouldn't get another chance like this again and how could there ever be a better time than this, anyway?

"Do you know how, when there's a war," I started, "no matter what side someone's on, they're always fighting for their own selfish reasons at heart?"

"Yeah?" said 8. I twisted towards him, taking his other hand as I did so. I stared at the rope tied around his left wrist before answering him solemnly.

"It was you," I said. "In the end, I was fighting so that I could live in peace with you. You were my selfish reason."

I took my hands away and folded them on my lap, closing my eyes and exhaling as I did so. My eyes snapped open when 8 stood up, pulled me to my feet and drew me close.

"And you were mine," he said. "101, I love you." He bent his head down and pressed his lips to mine. I blinked in surprise at first, but then I closed my eyes and melted into him as we kissed.

I felt the emptiness inside my heart suddenly fill up and I found that I could love him perfectly and unconditionally in this seemingly-endless moment. Gravity wasn't holding me where I stood anymore. It was the man in front of me, my very best and dearest friend, that kept me tethered to the Earth and stopped me from floating away into space.

Then, all of a sudden, I wasn't in Luxembourg anymore. In fact, I wasn't anywhere. There was nothing and no one else in this strange new world that I'd suddenly stumbled into. There was just me and him.

And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


	29. Epilogue

Well, here we are. After just under two months of sitting hunched over a laptop, having fangirlish spasms and going "Urrgh!" due to Writer's Block, I am finally finished and you have finally reached the end of "Soulbound".

If you have time, you may or may not want to read the Acknowledgements. But you don't have to if you don't want to. I won't tell.

This epilogue is told from the perspective of 9 and naturally, he'll get the last line in this story, too.

Anyway, thanks for all your support and for getting me this far. I couldn't have done it without you. I love you all, and I can't wait to get to work on the sequel!

_Epilogue_

9's POV

7, 16, 101 and I all stepped back as 12 fluttered to the ground in front of us.

"Well?" I asked.

12 shrugged and said, "They think that it would be better if we just did it ourselves. They said that it would take them a while to get here and they don't even know the way. So, they're not coming because they don't to keep us waiting any longer."

I nodded and looked over at 5, who was standing by the bundle of sticks and leaves with a match in his hand.

"You can light it now," I told him. He nodded in response and struck the match off the bottom of his foot.

I'd known what 12 had meant when she'd said that 11's group didn't want to keep us waiting by coming to the library. It had now been about five days since the destruction of the Machine. We'd waited another while to allow ourselves to get settled back into the library but today, I'd decided that I wasn't going to make the ones inside the talisman wait any longer.

I kept mentally making comparisons between now and the last time we'd been in this situation. Last time, the sun had setting, I'd been outside the Scientist's house with 7 and the twins, five flags had been erected around the funeral pyre and none of us knew that 101 and her crowd existed.

This time, we were just outside the wrought-iron gates of the library, three flags had been erected around the funeral pyre, it wouldn't be long before the sun would rise and 12 and 101 were here to say farewell with us.

Anyway, 12 went to stand between 5 and 2 and I unzipped my front and pulled out the talisman. I zipped myself up again and looked at 101. She gave me a nod of encouragement and went to stand by 8. I nodded back and entered in the sequence.

It started to shake and I dropped it a second later. Its shudders got a little more violent before the symbols parted and a green glow started to emanate from the centre. My wife and child moved closer to me and I gave 16's hand a squeeze as the first soul began to come out.

The soul was facing away from us and when I first saw it, I thought it was 84. But, upon closer examination, I saw that a "1" floated next to the "4" instead of an "8".

The soul looked down at its own hands in confusion and then turned towards us, looking surprised.

"Hello, 14," said 7. The surprised expression wiped itself off 14's face and she smiled widely at 7, giving her an approving nod. Then, she looked down at the talisman and stepped to one side as the next soul came out.

I was a little confused by 65's expression; she looked almost insecure. And if there was one thing she never felt, it was insecurity. Then, I realised that it must be because she didn't think she belonged here at this moment.

I gave 65 a smile and all of that strange insecurity was suddenly gone from her face as she grinned back. I noticed that she looked a lot like she had when she'd come into my room to steal the talisman, and there was no trace of the horrible injuries she'd received before her death. I also noticed that the two digits in her number name floated above each other instead of beside each other.

After the exchanging of the smiles, 65 turned and headed straight for 101 as the third and final soul (84) rose from the talisman. The two sisters stood staring and smiling at each other before 65 suddenly threw her arms around 101 and hugged her. Her little sister seemed surprised by this but she didn't hesitate to return the hug.

They pulled away from each other after a few minutes and 65 approached 8 with a very serious expression. He just stared dumbly in response, unsure of what to do.

Then, 65's smile returned and she reached over and squeezed his shoulder. He smiled back while 101 stood holding hands with her brother.

I turned back towards the spot where 14 was supposed to be standing but she was gone.

"Over there," whispered 7. She pointed off to my right and I swivelled round to see 14 standing in front of 1, who was smiling at her awkwardly. Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and he blinked in surprise before nervously returning the gesture.

"I'm so sorry, 14," he whispered. The whisper was barely audible but I could just about make out what he was saying. Then, 14 pulled away and they kissed, their hands on each other's cheeks as they did so. I knew it would be their last kiss.

Finally, 14 gave 1's hand a squeeze and walked away from him towards 15. The scar-faced girl stared wordlessly as her mother, still smiling, brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. Then, 15 smiled, too.

"Goodbye, Mom," she said. Her mother patted her shoulder and shot a glance at me before heading towards her flag, which was just starting to flame up. 65 and 84 followed her example, ready to forever depart the World of the Living.

Just as the three souls stopped in front of their designated flags, their feet detached themselves from the ground and they began to float. We all stood and stared skywards until they finally disappeared into the clouds.

I bent down and picked up the empty talisman, which closed over as I held it. I unzipped myself and popped the talisman inside before closing myself up again.

At the same time, I felt something drip onto my eyeglass casings. I looked up in surprise as even more drops of rain started to fall. A ray of light caught my eye and I looked to one side to see the sun starting to rise in the distance. Then, I looked around the gathered members of my clan.

2, 5 and 12 were standing close together, as I was sure they would be from now on. 12 had her wings out and the two men beside her had ducked their heads underneath them, keeping themselves out of the rain.

4 was standing between her twin and her mate, one arm around each of them. I was a little disappointed that the baby hadn't been here to see the release, but it had been too early for her to be born and I hadn't been able to wait any longer. I guess that sometimes, you just have to let nature do its thing.

1 and 15 were together, too. His left arm was stretched around her neck and the hand at the end of it was resting on her left shoulder.

101 was staring at the sky with her palms facing upwards as the rain poured down. Suddenly, 8 took hold of her right hand and she looked at him and smiled, bringing their intertwined down by their sides.

I put my arms around my own wife and child, kissing 7's right cheek and the top of 16's head as I did so. 7 put her right arm around my shoulders and 16 looked over at her mother.

"So, what now, Mom?" she asked.

"For once, I don't know," replied 7. "Frankly, I still can't believe it's all over." I shook my head and smiled at her.

"No," I said. "It's not over. This isn't the end. It's just the beginning."

The End


	30. Acknowledgements

_**Acknowledgements**_

I can't believe I got here so soon. I better get it together and do this properly. All right, now. This story and its completion couldn't have been possible with the help and support of all these people. And I would like to thank each of them individually;

Freida Right, my best buddy on FanFiction. Net and the ideal person for releasing spoilers to. She's been a really good friend to me and she's given me invaluable help and advice during the writing of this story. Go check out her "9" fanfic "Sacrificial". It's awesome (sorry, kids. It carries an R-rating).

SkullWitch57, one of my buddies on FanFiction. Net and one of my watchers on deviantART. She's a good friend and an avid reviewer and she even came up with the name "Freedom Punks" for 11's group.

Barn Owl Girl and 9OC17, two more of my avid reviewers on FanFiction. Net and deviantART respectively.

My family, even though it's highly unlikely that they read this story (oh, God. I pray that they didn't). While brainstorming for "Soulbound", I often talked to myself, paced my room and stared randomly into space. Anyone else would've had me thrown into the nuthouse by now, so thanks for not doing that, guys.

Shane Acker and Tim Burton, the creators of the movie "9". Without their beautiful and exceptional film, this fanfic would never have come to be.

And, most of all, I would like to thank everyone who ever read or reviewed this story on either FanFiction. Net or deviantART. Without your feedback, opinions and constructive criticism, I never would've had it in me to write so much.

Finally, I would like to end this by saying that I do not own "9" or the characters in it, nor did I take part in the creation of either in any way. Likewise, all pop culture references and their sources all belong to their respective owners. So, I don't own or claim ownership of anything but the OCs and the story itself.

And that's the end of "Soulbound", which I hope you all enjoyed. So, just for now, at least…adieu.


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